LIBRARY 


UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA. 


GIFT    OF 


Class 


Vue^V^Ld.. 


UNION  THEOLOGICAL  SEMINARY 

THE  LAYING  OF  THE  CORNER-STONE 

OF  THE 

NEW  BUILDINGS 

OF   THE 

UNION  THEOLOGICAL  SEMINARY 

AND  THE 

INAUGURATION 

OF  THE 

REVEREND  PROFESSOR  FRANCIS  BROWN 

AS 

PRESIDENT  OF  THE  FACULTY 


NOVEMBER  SEVENTEENTH 

1908 


700  PARK  AVENUE 
NEW  YORK 


UNION  THEOLOGICAL  SEMINARY 

i __ 


THE  LAYING  OF  THE  CORNER-STONE 

OF  THE 

NEW  BUILDINGS 

OF  THE 

UNION  THEOLOGICAL  SEMINARY 

AND  THE 

0 

INAUGURATION 

OF  THE 

REVEREND  PROFESSOR  FRANCIS  BROWN 

AS 

PRESIDENT  OF  THE  FACULTY 


NOVEMBER  SEVENTEENTH 

1908 


700  PARK  AVENUE 
NEW  YORK 


• 


CONTENTS. 


I.  PAGE 

THE  LAYING  OF  THE  CORNER  STONE,  ...         5 

II. 
THE  INAUGURATION  SERVICE, 10 

III. 
THE  INVITED  GUESTS, 16 

IV. 

THE  ADDRESS  ON  BEHALF  OF  THE  BUILDING  COMMIT- 
TEE BY  THE  REVEREND  PROFESSOR  GEORGE  WILLIAM 
KNOX,  D.D.,  LL.D., 19 

V. 

THE     CHARGE     TO     THE     PRESIDENT-ELECT     BY    THE 

REVEREND  CHARLES  H.   PARKHURST,   D.D.,  .         23 

VI. 

THE  INAUGURAL  ADDRESS  BY  THE  REVEREND  PRESIDENT 

FRANCIS  BROWN,  Ph.  D. ,  D. D. ,  D.  Litt. ,  LL.  D. ,        .         30 


180933 


UNIVERSITY 


i. 

THE  LAYING  OF  THE  CORNER  STONE 

By  appointment  of  the  Board  of  Directors,  the  Corner 
Stone  of  the  new  buildings  of  the  Union  Theological  Seminary 
on  Morningside  Heights  was  laid  on  the  afternoon  of 
Tuesday,  November  seventeenth,  1908,  at  half  after  three 
o'clock. 

Through  the  courtesy  of  the  authorities  of  the  Teachers' 
College,  the  procession  formed  in  rooms  provided  in  the 
Horace  Mann  School,  at  the  northeast  corner  of  Broadway 
and  i2oth  Street,  and  marched  across  the  street  to  the  site  of 
the  Entrance  Tower,  on  the  northwest  corner,  where  a  plat- 
form and  tent  had  been  erected  for  the  accommodation  of  the 
invited  guests. 

The  order  of  the  procession  was  as  follows: 

i. — The  Students  of  the  Seminary. 

2. — The  Student  Choir,  followed  by  Dr.  Gerrit  Smith,  the 

Musical  Director. 
3. — The  Faculty  of  the  Seminary. 
4. — The  Directors  of  the  Seminary. 
5. — The  representatives  of  other  institutions. 
6. — The  officiating  persons. 

On  the  arrival  of  the  head  of  the  procession  at  the  site, 
the  students  formed  a  double  file,  through  which  the  rest  of 
the  procession  marched  to  the  seats  reserved  for  them  upon 
the  platform,  where  the  other  invited  guests — not  alumni  of 
the  Seminary — were  already  awaiting  them.  The  alumni 
occupied  a  space  reserved  to  the  south  of  the  platform.  After 
the  invited  guests  were  seated  the  student  body,  with  the 
choir,  took  their  places  to  the  east  of  the  platform. 

5 


6 

The  service  was  opened  with  Prayer  by  the  Reverend 
William  R.  Richards,  D.D.,  of  the  Board  of  Directors,  who 
spoke  as  follows: 

"  O  GOD  our  Heavenly  Father,  who  art  in  all  ages  the 
refuge  and  dwelling  place  of  Thy  people,  we  beseech  Thee  so 
to  direct  us  in  all  our  doings  here,  that  our  works,  begun, 
continued  and  ended  in  Thee  may  be  to  Thy  glory. 

"We  beseech  Thee  to  look  with  favour  upon  this  house 
which  we  would  build  for  the  worship  of  Thy  name,  and  the 
diligent  study  of  Thy  word.  While  it  is  building,  we  pray 
Thee  graciously  to  protect  those  who  labour  upon  its  walls, 
that  they  may  be  shielded  from  harm,  and  do  their  work  with 
fidelity.  When  this  house  is  builded,  we  pray  that  it  may 
long  stand  here  a  faithful  witness  to  Thee,  and  to  further  the 
progress  of  Thy  Kingdom  upon  earth. 

"May  Thy  servants,  not  forgetful  of  the  faith  once 
delivered  to  the  saints,  receive  also  large  gifts  of  that  Spirit 
which  guideth  into  all  truth.  Embolden  those  who  teach 
here,  that  they  may  not  shun  to  declare  all  Thy  counsel. 
Quicken  the  minds  of  those  who  learn  here,  that  they  may 
gain  a  faith  which  they  can  proclaim  with  the  accents  of  per- 
sonal conviction,  and  for  the  persuasion  and  salvation  of  men. 
Above  all,  grant  that  this  house  may  ever  stand  for  the  union 
and  fellowship  of  all  who  love  the  name  of  our  Lord  Jesus. 

"  We  give  Thee  thanks  for  all  those  who,  having  served  Thee 
by  their  devotion  to  this  great  school,  are  now  fallen  asleep. 
May  their  names  be  freshly  remembered  among  us.  May  their 
example  encourage  us  with  a  like  devotion  to  carry  forward  what- 
ever they  have  well  begun;  and  we  humbly  beg  Thee  in  Thy 
good  time  to  gather  us  all  with  them  in  the  better  home  above. 

"  We  ask  all  in  the  name  of  Him  who  is  the  foundation 
and  chief  Corner  Stone,  our  Saviour  Jesus  Christ.  AMEN." 

At  the  conclusion  of  the  prayer,  the  congregation  joined 
with  Dr.  Richards  in  repeating  the  Lord's  Prayer: 

"Our  Father  which  art  in  Heaven,  Hallowed  be  Thy 
Name.  Thy  Kingdom  come.  Thy  will  be  done  in  earth,  as 
it  is  in  Heaven.  Give  us  this  day  our  daily  bread.  And  for- 
give us  our  debts,  as  we  forgive  our  debtors.  And  lead  us 
not  into  temptation,  but  deliver  us  from  evil ;  For  thine  is  the 
kingdom,  and  the  power,  and  the  glory,  forever.  Amen!" 


Mr.  John  Crosby  Brown,  President  of  the  Board  of 
Directors,  then  introduced  the  Reverend  George  William 
Knox,  D.D.,  LL.D.,  a  member  of  the  Building  Committee, 
who  made  an  address  on  behalf  of  the  Committee,  in  which 
he  gave  a  brief  account  of  the  history  which  had  led  to  the 
removal  of  the  Seminary,  and  paid  a  tribute  to  those  whose 
generous  gifts  had  made  the  removal  possible. 

At  Mr.  Brown's  request,  the  Reverend  David  R.  Frazer, 
D.D.,  of  the  Board  of  Directors,  then  read  the  following  list 
of  articles  deposited  in  the  Corner  Stone: 

CONTENTS  OF  THE  CORNER  STONE. 

i. — The  Old  Testament  in  Hebrew. 
2. — The  New  Testament  in  Greek. 
3.— The  Bible  in  English. 

4. — Dr.  Prentiss'  "Fifty  Years  of  Union  Theological 
Seminary." 

5. — Dr.  Prentiss'  "Another  Decade  in  the  History  of 
Union  Theological  Seminary." 

6. — A  brief  sketch  of  the  history  of  the  Seminary  during 
Dr.  Hall's  administration,  including  the  circumstances  attend- 
ing the  selection  of  the  new  site  for  the  Seminary,  and  a  state- 
ment of  the  relation  to  this  undertaking  of  D.  Willis  James, 
Esquire,  late  Vice-President  of  the  Board  of  Directors,  pre- 
pared by  Dr.  William  Adams  Brown. 

7. — The  Annual  Catalogues  of  the  Seminary  from  1898  to 
1907  inclusive. 

8. — The  General  Catalogue  of  the  Seminary  1836-1908. 
9. — Reports  of  the  Union  Settlement. 

10. — The  Constitution  and  Laws  of  the  Union  Theological 
Seminary,  with  Amendments  to  November,  1905,  and  with 
the  Preamble  and  Act  of  Incorporation. 

n. — Extracts  from  the  Minutes  of  the  Board  of  Directors 
containing  the  action  by  which  the  terms  of  subscription  for 
Directors  and  Professors  were  changed  to  their  present  form. 


8 

i2. — The  "  Programme  of  a  Competition  for  the  Selection 
of  an  Architect  and  the  Procuring  of  a  General  Plan  "  for  the 
New  Buildings. 

13. — The  Programmes  of  this  day's  exercises. 

14. — The  Address  delivered  by  the  Reverend  George 
William  Knox,  D.D.,  LL.D.,  on  behalf  of  the  Building  Com- 
mittee, at  the  Laying  of  this  Corner  Stone. 

The  Corner  Stone,  situated  at  the  northwest  corner  of 
i2oth  Street  and  Broadway,  was  then  laid  by  John  Crosby 
Brown,  LL.D.,  President  of  the  Board  of  Directors.  Before 
laying  the  Stone,  Mr.  Brown  made  the  following  statement:— 

"As  the  representative  of  the  Board  of  Directors,  I 
have  been  requested  to  lay  the  Corner  Stone  of  this  group  of 
buildings,  the  future  home  of  the  Union  Theological  Seminary, 
an  institution  founded  in  1836  by  godly  men  '  to  prepare  young 
men  for  the  service  of  Christ  in  the  work  of  the  ministry.' 
Sharing  with  the  Founders  the  belief  that  for  all  enduring 
religious  work  *  other  foundation  can  no  man  lay  than  that  is 
laid,  which  is  Jesus  Christ,'  the  Directors  set  apart  this  Stone 
as  the  symbol  of  the  spiritual  foundation  upon  which  this 
Seminary  rests." 

After  the  laying  of  the  Corner  Stone  the  Student  Choir  sang 
the  Hymn: — 

"GOD  THE  LORD  A  KING  REMAINETH" 

I  III 

God,  the  Lord,  a  King  remaineth,  Lord,  the  water-floods  have  lifted, 

Robed  in  His  own  glorious  light ;  Ocean  floods  have  lift  their  roar  ; 

God  hath  robed  Him,  and  He  reigneth  ;       Now  they  pause  where  they  have  drifted, 

He  hath  girded  Him  with  might.  Now  they  burst  upon  the  shore. 

Alleluia  !  Alleluia  ! 

God  is  King  in  depth  and  height.  For  the  ocean's  sounding  store. 

II  IV 

In  her  everlasting  station  Lord,  the  words  Thy  lips  are  telling 

Earth  is  poised,  to  swerve  no  more  ;  Are  the  perfect  verity : 

Thou  hast  laid  Thy  throne's  foundation  Of  Thine  high  eternal  dwelling 

From  all  time  where  thought  can  soar.  Holiness  shall  inmate  be. 

Alleluia  !  Alleluia  ! 

Lord,  Thou  art  for  evermore.  Pure  is  all  that  dwells  with  Thee. 

REV.  JOHN  KEBLE 


9 

The  exercises  were  concluded  by  the  Benediction,  which 
was  pronounced  by  the  Reverend  Henry  M.  Sanders,  D.D., 
of  the  Board  of  Directors: — 

"  Now  the  God  of  Peace,  that  brought  again  from  the 
dead  our  Lord  Jesus,  that  great  Shepherd  of  the  sheep, 
through  the  blood  of  the  everlasting  covenant,  make  you 
perfect  in  every  good  work  to  do  his  will,  working  in  you 
that  which  is  well-pleasing  in  his  sight,  through  Jesus  Christ; 
to  whom  be  glory  for  ever  and  ever.  AMEN." 

At  the  close  of  the  service  the  procession  returned  to  the 
rooms  of  the  Horace  Mann  School  in  the  order  in  which  it 
came. 


At  half  past  six  the  visiting  representatives  of  other 
institutions  were  entertained  at  Dinner  at  the  University  Club 
by  the  Board  of  Directors. 


II. 

THE  INAUGURATION  SERVICE 

The  Inauguration  of  the  Reverend  Francis  Brown,  Ph.D., 
D.D.,  D.Litt,  LL.D.,  as  President  of  the  Faculty  of  the  Union 
Theological  Seminary  took  place  on  Tuesday  evening,  Novem- 
ber i yth,  1908,  at  half  after  eight  o'clock.  Owing  to  the 
large  number  of  alumni  and  friends  who  accepted  the  invitation 
of  the  Directors  to  be  present  at  the  services  it  was  impossible 
to  accommodate  in  the  Adams  Chapel  those  who  desired  to 
attend.  The  service  was  therefore  held  in  the  Madison 
Avenue  Presbyterian  Church,  on  the  corner  of  73d  Street  and 
Madison  Avenue,  which  had  been  courteously  placed  at  the 
disposal  of  the  Seminary  authorities  by  the  Board  of  Trustees. 

The  procession  formed  in  the  Chapel  on  73d  Street  and 
entered  the  Church  in  the  following  order: 

i.— The  Ushers. 

2. — The  Seminary  Choir. 

3. — The  Directors  of  the  Seminary. 

4. — The  representatives  of  other  institutions. 

5. — The  Faculty  of  the  Seminary. 

6. — The  officiating  persons. 

While  the  procession  was  forming  an  organ  voluntary  was 
played  by  Dr.  Gerrit  Smith,  the  Musical  Director  of  the 
Seminary. 

The  service  opened  with  the  Hymn,  "The  Church's  One 
Foundation,"  which  was  sung  by  the  Choir  as  a  processional. 

The  Reverend  Lewis  Lampman,  D.D.,  of  the  Board  of 
Directors  then  led  the  audience  in  the  repetition  of  the  Lord's 
Prayer,  after  which  the  Choir  sang  the  anthem,  "To  God 
Eternal  the  Heavens  Utter  Glory." 

10 


11 

The  following  Scripture  Lesson  was  then  read  by  the 
Reverend  James  M.  Ludlow,  D. D.,  of  the  Board  of  Directors: 

Philippians  II :  1-18. 

"If  there  be  therefore  any  consolation  in  Christ,  if  any 
comfort  of  love,  if  any  fellowship  of  the  Spirit,  if  any  bowels 
and  mercies, 

Fulfil  ye  my  joy,  that  ye  be  like-minded,  having  the  same 
love,  being  of  one  accord,  of  one  mind. 

Let  nothing  be  done  through  strife  or  vainglory;  but  in 
lowliness  of  mind  let  each  esteem  other  better  than  themselves. 

Look  not  every  man  on  his  own  things,  but  every  man 
also  on  the  things  of  others. 

Let  this  mind  be  in  you,  which  was  also  in  Christ  Jesus: 

Who,  being  in  the  form  of  God,  thought  it  not  robbery  to 
be  equal  with  God: 

But  made  himself  of  no  reputation,  and  took  upon  him  the 
form  of  a  servant,  and  was  made  in  the  likeness  of  men: 

And  being  found  in  fashion  as  a  man,  he  humbled  himself, 
and  became  obedient  unto  death,  even  the  death  of  the  cross. 

Wherefore  God  also  hath  highly  exalted  him,  and  given 
him  a  name  which  is  above  every  other  name: 

That  at  the  name  of  Jesus  every  knee  should  bow,  of  things 
in  heaven,  and  things  in  earth,  and  things  under  the  earth; 

And  that  every  tongue  should  confess  that  Jesus  Christ  is 
Lord,  to  the  glory  of  God  the  Father. 

Wherefore,  my  beloved,  as  ye  have  always  obeyed,  not  as 
in  my  presence  only,  but  now  much  more  in  my  absence, 
work  out  your  own  salvation  with  fear  and  trembling. 

For  it  is  God  which  worketh  in  you  both  to  will  and  to  do 
of  his  good  pleasure. 

Do  all  things  without  murmurings  and  disputings; 

That  ye  may  be  blameless  and  harmless,  the  sons  of  God, 
without  rebuke,  in  the  midst  of  a  crooked  and  perverse  nation, 
among  whom  ye  shine  as  lights  in  the  world; 

Holding  forth  the  word  of  life ;  that  I  may  rejoice  in  the  day 
of  Christ,  that  I  have  not  run  in  vain,  neither  laboured  in  vain. 

Yea,  and  if  I  be  offered  upon  the  sacrifice  and  service  of 
your  faith,  I  joy,  and  rejoice  with  you  all. 

For  the  same  cause  also  do  ye  joy,  and  rejoice  with  me." 


12 

The  President  of  the  Board  of  Directors,  John  Crosby 
Brown,  LL.D.,  then  made  the  following  statement  on  behalf 
of  the  Board: 

"On  the  i2th  of  May,  1908,  the  Board  of  Directors  of  the 
Union  Theological  Seminary,  by  unanimous  vote,  elected  the 
Reverend  Francis  Brown,  Ph.D.,  D.D.,  D.Litt.,  LL.D.,  to 
the  Presidency  of  the  Faculty,  a  position  made  vacant  by  the 
sad  death  of  the  Reverend  Doctor  Charles  Cuthbert  Hall.  A 
graduate  of  Dartmouth  College  in  1870;  a  teacher  in  Pitts- 
burgh, Pennsylvania,  from  1870  to  1872;  a  tutor  in  Dartmouth 
College  from  1872  to  1874;  a  student  in  the  Union  Theo- 
logical Seminary  in  the  old  building  in  University  Place  from 
1874  to  1877;  a  Fellow  of  the  Seminary,  studying  in  Berlin, 
from  1877  to  1879;  an  Instructor  in  Biblical  Philology  from 
1879  to  1881;  an  Associate  Professor  in  the  old  building  in 
University  Place  and  in  our  present  quarters  from  1881  to 
1891;  the  Davenport  Professor  of  Hebrew  and  the  Cognate 
Languages  since  1891,  a  Chair  which  he  will  continue  to 
occupy  in  the  future;  the  Director  of  the  American  School  of 
Oriental  Study  and  Research  in  Jerusalem  in  the  year  1907- 
1908;  holding  honorary  degrees  from  his  Alma  Mater,  Hamil- 
ton College,  Williams  College,  and  from  leading  universities 
in  this  country  and  abroad,  Yale,  the  University  of^Glasgow, 
and  the  University  of  Oxford;  connected  with  this  institution 
from  his  early  days  and  acquainted  with  its  history  and  ideals 
as  few  other  men  are,  Dr.  Brown  is  eminently  fitted  to  fill  the 
position  for  which  he  has  been  chosen.  A  scholar  of  estab- 
lished reputation,  an  acceptable  preacher  possessing  the  con- 
fidence of  the  different  religious  bodies,  and,  above  all,  a  man 
of  simple,  earnest  faith,  the  Directors  of  this  Seminary  have 
the  greatest  pleasure  and  confidence  in  entrusting  to  him  its 
care  and  oversight. 

"As  Dr.  Brown  has  already,  as  a  member  of  the  Board, 
made  the  declaration  required  by  the  Constitution  of  the 


13 

Seminary,  it  only  remains  for  me  to  present  him  to  this 
audience  as  President  of  the  Faculty,  entitled  to  discharge  all 
the  duties  of  that  responsible  office." 

Prayer  was  then  offered  by  the  Reverend  David  Ruddach 
Frazer,  D.D.,  of  the  Board  of  Directors,  as  follows: 

"ALMIGHTY  GOD,  our  Heavenly  Father,  with  joyful  hearts 
we  tender  Thee  thanks  for  the  favours  Thou  hast  been  pleased 
to  lavish  upon  an  institution  which  we  all  love  and  to  which 
many  of  us  owe  a  debt  which  can  never  be  repaid. 

"We  thank  Thee  for  help  vouchsafed  in  the  early  days  to 
that  little  company  of  godly  men  and  women  who,  by  Thy 
grace,  laid  the  foundation  of  our  school,  deep  and  broad,  in 
faith  and  prayer,  upon  those  great,  regnant  principles  which 
have  stood  the  test  of  time  and  of  trial. 

"We  thank  Thee  for  those  wise  and  faithful  men  who 
have  sat  in  our  seats  of  council  and  who,  by  their  foresight, 
loyalty  and  generosity  have  made  present  developments  a 
possibility. 

"We  thank  Thee  for  the  long  line  of  godly  scholars  who 
have  filled  our  chairs  of  instruction  and  who,  by  their  ability 
and  fidelity  have  trained  that  goodly  company  which  has  gone 
hence,  to  proclaim,  in  this  land  and  also  in  the  uttermost 
parts  of  the  earth,  the  unsearchable  riches  of  Christ. 

"  We  thank  Thee  for  a  glorious  past,  for  the  vigour  of  the 
present  and  for  the  hopes  we  are  permitted  to  cherish  for  the 
future. 

"But,  in  this  glad  hour,  for  the  gatherings  of  this  day, 
for  that  which  our  eyes  have  seen  and  our; ears  have  heard 
and  for  all  that  these  gatherings  import,  we  would  offer 
renewed  praises  to  Thy  great  and  holy  Name. 

"In  Thy  good  favour  Thou  hast  sent  a  measure  of  pros- 
perity which  makes  our  present  place  of  habitation  too  strait 
for  the  successful  prosecution  of  the  great  work  to  which 
Thou  art  calling  our  Seminary.  We  thank  Thee  for  the 
blessed  necessity  and  also  for  the  generosity  of  those  who 
made  possible  the  laying  of  the  Corner  Stone  of  a  larger  and 
a  fully  equipped  home  for  the  school  of  the  Prophets. 

"Thank  God  for  the  work  of  this  afternoon. 

"As  we  gather  again  to-night  we  are  not  unmindful  of  the 
fact  that  in  Thine  infinite  wisdom,  and  we  know  in  Thy  love, 


14 

Thou  hast  greatly  bereaved  us  by  taking  to  Thyself  our 
honoured  and  beloved  leader;  a  man  of  God  trained  in  our 
school  and  a  choice  man  of  such  sweet  spirit  that  he  won  the 
hearts  of  all  who  knew  him.  We  thank  Thee  for  the  gift  of 
such  a  man;  we  thank  Thee  for  his  life  and  life  work;  we 
sorrow  for  our  loss,  but,  realizing  that  Thou  dost  never  make 
a  mistake  and  dost  not  withhold  the  Crown  when  Thou  seest 
Thy  servants  are  made  meet  for  their  coronation,  we  bow  in 
Thy  presence  saying,  even  so,  Father,  for  so  it  seemeth  good  in 
Thy  sight. 

"  But  the  great  work  goes  on  although  the  workman  enters 
into  rest.  Though  Moses  dies  Thou  dost  raise  up  Joshua  to 
lead  the  host. 

"  And  we  thank  Thee,  our  Father,  for  the  signal  token  of 
that  divine  favor  which  has  never  failed  our  school,  which 
enables  us  to-night,  after  a  unanimous  selection  and  election, 
to  invest  with  the  supreme  dignity,  authority  and  respon- 
sibility of  our  Seminary  another  of  her  sons. 

"  And  as  we  here  place  him  in  this  position  of  influence  we 
commend  him  to  Thee  and  to  the  word  of  Thy  grace.  We 
humbly  pray  that  his  life  and  health  may  be  precious  in  Thy 
sight;  that  the  Spirit  of  the  living  God  may  lead  him  into  all 
truth  and  that  the  all-sufficient  grace  may  be  so  abundantly 
bestowed  upon  him  that  his  administration  may  add  to  the 
glory  of  Thy  name  through  the  advancement  of  the  best 
interests  of  Union  Theological  Seminary. 

"And  to  that  great  and  holy  name,  Father,  Son  and 
Spirit,  one  God  over  all  blessed  and  blessing  forever,  be  all 
the  praise,  through  Jesus  Christ  our  Lord  and  our  Hope — our 
strength  and  our  only  Redeemer.  AMEN!" 

Mr.   John  Crosby  Brown  then  spoke  as  follows: 

"  It  is  the  custom  of  this  Board  to  appoint  one  of  its  own 
members  to  deliver  on  its  behalf,  a  Charge  to  a  newly 
appointed  President  or  Professor.  I,  therefore,  call  upon  the 
Reverend  Doctor  Charles  H.  Parkhurst,  to  deliver  this 
Charge." 

The  Charge  to  the  President-elect  was  then  delivered  by 
the  Reverend  Charles  H.  Parkhurst,  D.D.,  LL.D.,  of  the 


15 


Board  of  Directors,  after  which  the  Reverend  President 
Francis  Brown  delivered  the  Inaugural  Address  on  the  theme, 
"  Theology  as  the  Servant  of  Religion." 

At  the  conclusion  of  the  Inaugural  Address  the  Hymn 
"  Light  of  the  World,  We  Hail  Thee,"  was  sung  by  the  Choir 
and  the  Congregation: 


I. 

Light  of  the  world,  we  hail  Thee, 

Flushing  the  eastern  skies ; 
Never  shall  darkness  veil  Thee 

Again  from  human  eyes ; 
Too  long,  alas  !  withholden, 

Now  spread  from  shore  to  shore  ; 
Thy  light,  so  glad  and  golden, 

Shall  set  on  earth  no  more. 

II. 

Light  of  the  world,  Thy  beauty 

Steals  into  every  heart, 
And  glorifies  with  duty 

Life's  poorest,  humblest  part ; 
Thou  robest  in  Thy  splendor 

The  simple  ways  of  men, 
And  helpest  them  to  render 

Light  back  to  Thee  again. 


III. 

Light  of  the  world,  before  Thee 

Our  spirits  prostrate  fall ; 
We  worship,  we  adore  Thee, 

Thou  Light,  the  Life  of  all ; 
With  Thee  is  no  forgetting 

Of  all  Thine  hand  hath  made  ; 
Thy  rising  hath  no  setting, 

Thy  sunshine  hath  no  shade. 

IV. 

Light  of  the  world,  illumine 

This  darkened  land  of  Thine, 
Till  everything  that's  human 

Be  filled  with  what's  Divine  ; 
Till  every  tongue  and  nation, 

From  sin's  dominion  free, 
Rise  in  the  new  creation 

Which  springs  from  Love  and  Thee. 
REV.  J.  S.  B.  MONSELL 


The  Reverend  Stephen  W.  Dana,  D.D.,  of  the  Board  of 
Directors  then  offered  Prayer  and  pronounced  the  Benediction. 

The  service  concluded  with  the  singing  of  the  Recessional, 
"Rejoice,  ye  pure  in  Heart,"  by  the  Choir,  during  which  the 
procession  retired  from  the  Church. 

At  the  conclusion  of  the  service,  a  large  number  of  friends 
and  of  invited  guests  attended  an  informal  reception  tendered 
to  President  and  Mrs.  Brown  at  the  Seminary,  700  Park 
Avenue. 


III. 

THE  INVITED  GUESTS 

The  following  representatives  of  other  institutions  were 
present:  Harvard  University,  the  Rev.  Dean  William  Wallace 
Fenn,  D.D.,  and  the  Rev.  Professor  Edward  C.  Moore, 
Ph.D.,  D.D. ;  Yale  University,  President  Arthur  T.  Hadley, 
LL.D.,  and  the  Rev.  Professor  Ambrose  W.  Vernon,  D.D. ; 
Washington  and  Lee  University,  President  George  H.  Denny, 
Ph.D.,  LL.D.;  Columbia  University,  Dean  John  W.  Burgess, 
Ph.D.,  LL.D.,  James  H.  Canfield,  LL.D.,  D.Litt.,  Professor 
Herbert  G.  Lord,  M.  A.,  and  the  Rev.  Raymond  C.  Knox,  B.D. ; 
Rutgers  College,  the  Rev.  Professor  William  I.  Chamberlain, 
Ph.D.;  Dartmouth  College,  Charles  F.  Mathewson,  LL.B., 
and  Professor  Julius  Arthur  Brown,  A.M.,  B.Sc. ;  Dickinson 
College,  the  Rev.  President  George  E.  Eeed,  S.T.D.,  LL.D. ; 
the  Theological  Seminary  of  the  Reformed  Church  in  America, 
at  New  Brunswick,  N.  J.,  the  Rev.  President  J.  Preston 
Searle,  D.D.,  the  Rev.  Professor  John  H.  Raven,  D.D.,  and 
the  Rev.  Professor  Edward  Payson  Johnson,  D.D. ;  Williams 
College,  Professor  Richard  A.  Rice,  M.A.,;  Andover  Theo- 
logical Seminary,  the  Rev.  Dean  J.  Winthrop  Platner,  D.D., 
and  the  Rev.  Professor  William  R.  Arnold,  Ph.D.;  Princeton 
Theological  Seminary,  the  Rev.  Professor  Charles  R.  Erdman, 
M.A. ;  Allegheny  College,  the  Rev.  President  William  Henry 
Crawford,  D.D. ;  Bangor  Theological  Seminary,  the  Rev. 
President  David  N.  Beach,  D.D. ;  General  Theological  Semi- 
nary, the  Very  Rev.  Dean  Wilford  L.  Robbins,  D.D.,  LL.D., 
and  the  Rev.  Professor  John  C.  Roper,  D.D.,  L.H.D. ; 
Colgate  University  and  Hamilton  Theological  Seminary,  the 
Rev.  Dean  Sylvester  Burnham,  D.D. ;  University  of  Pittsburgh, 
the  Rev.  Chancellor  Samuel  B.  McCormick,  D.D.,  LL.D.; 

16 


17 

Trinity  College,  Professor  Winifred  R.  Martin,  LL.D. ; 
Western  Theological  Seminary,  the  Rev.  Professor  D.  Schley 
Schaff,  D.  D.  ;  Western  Reserve  University,  the  Rev.  President 
Charles  F.  Thwing,  S.T.D.,  LL.D.;  Illinois  College,  the 
Rev.  Thomas  W.  Smith,  D.D. ;  New  York  University,  the 
Rev.  Chancellor  Henry  M.  MacCracken,  D.D.,  LL.D.,  and 
Professor  John  H.  MacCracken,  Ph.D.,  LL.D.;  Wesleyan 
University,  Professor  Andrew  C.  Armstrong,  Ph.D.;  Oberlin 
College,  the  Rev.  President  Henry  Churchill  King,  D.D.  ; 
Hartford  Theological  Seminary,  the  Rev.  Professor  Edwin  K. 
Mitchell,  D.  D. ;  Alfred  University,  the  Rev.  Professor  Arthur 
E.  Main,  D.D. ;  Alfred  Theological  Seminary,  the  Rev. 
Professor  William  C.  Whitford,  D.D.  ;  Mount  Holyoke  College, 
President  Mary  E.  Woolley,  Litt.D.,  L.H.D.  ;  Knox  College, 
the  Rev.  President  Thomas  McClelland,  D.D.  ;  University  of 
Michigan,  Henry  W.  Hubbard,  M.S.  ;  Ohio  Wesleyan  Univer- 
sity, the  Rev.  Charles  E.  Jefferson,  D.D.  ;  Meadville  Theo- 
logical School,  the  Rev.  George  Henry  Badger;  Mount  Union 
College,  the  Rev.  President  William  H.  McMaster,  D.D. ; 
The  College  of  the  City  of  New  York,  Professor  Henry  P. 
Johnston,  Ph.D.;  Lawrence  University,  the  Rev.  President 
Samuel  Plantz,  Ph.D.,  D.D.,  LL.D.;  University  of  Rochester, 
the  Hon.  Theron  G.  Strong;  Tufts  College,  the  Rev.  Frank 
O.  Hall,  D.D.,  S.T.D.  ;  Chicago  Theological  Seminary,  the 
Rev.  Professor  Ralph  H.  Ferris,  B.D.  ;  the  Divinity  School 
of  the  Protestant  Episcopal  Church  in  Philadelphia,  Professor 
Joseph  C.  Ayer,  Jr. ,  Ph.  D. ,  and  Professor  J.  Allan  Montgomery, 
Ph.D.  ;  Vassar  College,  the  Rev.  President  James  M.  Taylor, 
D.D.,  LL.D.;  Drew  Theological  Seminary,  the  Rev.  President 
Henry  A.  Buttz,  D.D.,  LL.D.,  and  the  Rev.  Professor 
Robert  W.  Rogers,  Ph.D.,  D.D.,  LL.D.;  Howard  University, 
the  Rev.  President  Wilbur  P.  Thirkield,  D.D.,  LL.D.; 
Hampton  Normal  and  Agricultural  Institute,  the  Rev.  Princi- 
pal Hollis  B.  Frissell,  D.D.,  LL.D.;  Boston  University,  the 
Rev.  President  William  E.  Huntington,  Ph.D.,  S.T.D.,  LL.D.  ; 


18 

Atlanta  University,  the  Rev.  President  Edward  T.  Ware; 
Normal  College,  New  York  City,  President  George  S.  Davis, 
LL.D. ;  German  Theological  Seminary  of  Newark,  the  Rev. 
Professor  Charles  T.  Hock,  Ph.D.;  Syracuse  University,  the 
Rev.  Professor  Charles  F.  Sitterly,  Ph.D.,  S.T.D. ;  Johns 
Hopkins  University,  the  Rev.  Dean  Edward  H.  Griffin,  D.D., 
LL.D.;  Radcliff  College,  Miss  Elizabeth  Briggs,  M.A. ;  Bryn 
Mawr  College,  Professor  George  A.  Barton,  Ph.D.;  Coe 
College,  the  Rev.  Edward  R.  Burkhalter,  D.D.,  LL.D. ;  Drake 
University,  President  Hill  M.  Bell,  LL.D.;  Huron  College, 
the  Rev.  President  Calvin  H.  French,  D.D. ;  Temple  Univer- 
sity, the  Rev.  Dean  John  Gordon,  D.D. ;  the  Jewish  Theolog- 
ical Seminary  of  America,  President  Solomon  Schechter, 
Litt.D. ;  Carroll  College,  the  Rev.  President  Wilbur  O.  Currier, 
D.D.  ;  the  Carnegie  Foundation  for  the  Advancement  of 
Teaching,  President  Henry  S.  Pritchett,  Ph.D.,  LL.D.,  Sc.D. ; 
Dropsie  College  for  Hebrew  and  Cognate  Learning,  President 
Cyrus  Adler,  LL.D. 

Courteous  messages  of   regret  were  received  from  other 
institutions. 


IV. 

ADDRESS  ON  BEHALF  OF  THE   BUILD- 
ING  COMMITTEE 

BY    THE    REVEREND    PROFESSOR 

GEORGE   WILLIAM    KNOX,    D.D.,  LL.D. 

The  CORNER  STONE  which  we  lay  to-day  bears  the  dates 
1836  and  1908,  which  mark  the  beginning  of  the  Seminary's 
life  and  the  year  in  which  this  group  of  buildings  is  begun. 
Two  sets  of  buildings  have  preceded  this — the  first,  at  Number 
9  University  Place,  was  dedicated  on  December  12,  1836,  and 
the  second,  at  Number  700  Park  Avenue,  was  dedicated  on 
December  9,  1884.  On  that  day  President  Hitchcock  in  his 
Dedicatory  Address  remarked:  "The  present  location  is 
apparently  for  many  decades,  if  not  for  all  time."  Even  from 
his  prescience  the  immediate  development  of  the  Seminary 
was  hidden.  In  1884  the  names  of  seven  Professors  and  of 
one  Instructor  were  on  the  Faculty  page:  the  work  of  the 
students  followed  a  prescribed  curriculum,  and  three  lecture 
rooms  for  three  classes  sufficed. 

Almost  immediately  a  development  of  the  plans  and  pur- 
poses of  the  Seminary  ensued.  During  the  distinguished 
administration  of  the  Reverend  President  Thomas  S.  Hastings, 
D.D.,  LL.D.,  there  were  changes  both  in  the  internal  economy 
and  external  relations  of  the  Seminary  which  were  epoch 
making,  so  that  the  Union  Seminary  was  no  longer  the  repre- 
sentative of  a  single  denomination  of  Christians  nor  was  it 
merely  the  teacher  of  a  prescribed  curriculum.  This  develop- 
ment on  both  sides  was  continued  during  the  administration 
of  our  lamented  friend,  brother  and  leader,  President  Charles 
Cuthbert  Hall,  D.D.,  LL.D.  On  the  one  side  the  teaching 

19 


20 

force  has  been  enlarged  so  that  there  are  now  eleven  Professor- 
ships, two  Associate  Professors,  one  Assistant  Professor,  four 
Instructors  and  three  Lecturers.  The  curriculum  has  been 
enriched  and  the  work  of  the  students  is  elective  so  that  they 
may  choose  the  courses  which  will  fit  them  for  the  department 
of  Christian  work  to  which  they  devote  their  lives. 

During  the  same  period  the  Seminary  carried  out  the  further 
purpose  of  the  Founders  who  desired  to  establish  an  institu- 
tion free  from  " ecclesiastical  domination."  Independence 
at  great  cost  was  achieved  under  the  Presidency  of  Dr. 
Hastings,  and  its  full  realization  came  under  Dr.  Hall.  Four 
denominations  have  members  on  the  teaching  force  and  three 
in  the  Board  of  Directors,  so  that  the  Seminary  to-day  is  in 
fact  what  its  name  indicates.  More  than  twenty  denominations 
of  Christians  have  students  within  its  halls. 

The  development  in  things  spiritual  and  intellectual  has 
been  first  and  the  growth  in  things  material  second,  but  vain 
is  the  first  without  the  last.  During  the  last  administration 
the  material  resources  of  the  Seminary  have  been  greatly 
increased.  Four  new  Professorships  have  been  added  and 
beginnings  have  been  made  in  the  endowment  of  two  Lecture- 
ships. It  is  not  surprising  that  in  less  than  three  decades  the 
Seminary  buildings  are  outgrown;  the  Library  is  inadequate; 
the  Lecture  rooms  are  too  few;  the  Dormitory  overflows. 

Once  more  we  lay  the  Corner  Stone  of  buildings  which  we 
trust  will  be  adequate  not  only  to  the  needs  of  the  immediate 
future  but  for  many  years  to  come.  The  buildings  as  sanctioned 
by  the  Board  of  Trustees  will  comprise : — a  Dormitory  on  Broad- 
way, from  i2ist  Street  to  i22d;  a  Library  on  Broadway,  from 
i2ist  Street  on  the  south  to  the  entrance  tower  on  the  corner 
of  i2oth  Street;  an  Administration  Building  on  i2oth  Street; 
a  Memorial  Chapel  on  Claremont  Avenue;  a  residence  for  the 
the  President  of  the  Faculty  on  the  corner  of  i2oth  Street  and 
Claremont  Avenue,  and  an  Apartment  House  for  the  Professors 
on  i22d  Street. 


21 

The  situation  chosen  by  the  Board  of  Directors  indicates 
the  relation  of  the  Seminary  to  the  Universities.  There 
is  no  organic  connection,  but  there  are  mutual  confidence, 
esteem  and  help.  From  the  beginning  the  Seminary  has 
sustained  peculiarly  intimate  relations  with  New  York  Uni- 
versity and  with  Columbia  University.  These  continue 
unbroken  and  the  change  in  our  situation  indicates  no 
alteration  in  our  historic  attitude.  The  Seminary  maintains 
its  independence,  its  cordial  esteem  for  both  Universities, 
and  acknowledges  its  lasting  obligations  to  each,  obligations 
which  the  future  will  increase  beyond  any  possibility  of 
repayment. 

And  yet  the  Seminary  is  convinced  that  it,  too,  has  gifts 
for  the  University.  The  munificent  givers  of  this  land  and 
these  buildings  have  confidence  that  sound  learning  aids  re- 
ligion and  that  the  religious  convictions  which  find  expression 
here  are  of  profound  importance  for  the  University.  Without 
suspicion  but  with  friendship,  without  fear  but  with  hope, 
Seminary  and  University  shall  in  the  future,  as  in  the  past, 
continue  their  careers  of  mutual  help  and  profit. 

This  land,  from  i2oth  Street  to  1226.  Street,  and  from 
Broadway  to  Claremont  Avenue,  is  the  gift  of  the  beloved 
and  lamented  D.  Willis  James,  who  long  served  the  institution 
as  Director  and  Vice-President  of  its  Board.  The  group  of 
buildings  (excepting  the  Apartment  House  for  the  Professors) 
is  provided  for  by  gifts  received  during  the  last  three  years. 
As  Mr.  James  refused  to  permit  his  gifts  to  be  associated 
with  himself  during  life,  so  two  other  givers  will  not  allow  me 
to  divulge  their  names.  By  far  the  larger  part — in  addition 
to  the  land — is  from  Mr.  James  and  his  widow,  constituting 
the  greatest  gift  ever  made  to  the  cause  of  religious  educa- 
tion. Mrs.  James  erects  the  chapel  as  a  Memorial  to  her 
husband,  and  most  appropriate  is  it  that  his  name  should  be 
associated  with  that  sacred  edifice,  for  with  him  the  spiritual 
was  first,  the  material  was  only  its  instrument. 


22 

It  was  characteristic  of  the  largeness  of  vision  of  Mr. 
James  that  he  did  not  wish  future  Boards  of  Directors  to  be 
hampered  by  conditions  annexed  to  gifts,  and  his  own  were 
completely  free.  In  all  this — in  gifts,  in  liberality  of  spirit, 
in  devotion  to  true  religion,  Mr.  James  is  representative  of  the 
noble  band  of  laymen  who  established  and  who  have  main- 
tained this  Seminary.  Inseparably  associated  with  him  in 
loving  memory  are  the  names  of  Haines,  and  Halsey,  and 
Butler,  and  Dodge — father  and  son, — and  Brown — father  and 
son, — and  McAlpin,  and  Jesup,  and  Marquand,  and  Morgan, 
and  many  others  who  have  given  munificently  for  endowment, 
equipment  and  maintenance. 

The  gift  of  Mr.  James  is  the  latest,  not  the  last,  mani- 
festation of  the  disposition  of  the  laymen  of  New  York  who, 
in  this  city  given  over  to  commerce,  value  wealth  because  of 
the  opportunity  it  gives  for  the  service  of  their  fellows,  who, 
in  an  age  which  is  called  materialistic,  put  the  things  of  the 
Spirit  first  and  who  believe  that  religion  is  a  permanent  and 
necessary  element  in  the  life  of  humanity  and  that  its  scientific 
study  is  promotive  of  its  best  growth  and  highest  influence. 

These  buildings  will  help  to  realize  the  prophetic  vision  of 
the  Founders  of  the  institution  who  hoped  "  with  the  blessing 
of  God  to  enlist  in  the  service  of  Christ  and  in  the  work  of  the 
ministry,  genius,  talent,  enlightened  piety  and  missionary  zeal; 
and  to  qualify  many  for  the  labors  and  management  of  the 
various  religious  institutions,  seminaries  of  learning  and  enter- 
prises of  benevolence,  which  characterize  the  present  times." 

Should  they  prove  inadequate,  it  will  not  be  because  of  a 
lack  of  generosity,  since  every  request  has  been  gladly  met,  nor 
will  it  be  from  the  want  of  prolonged  and  minute  consideration, 
nor  from  any  failure  of  architectural  skill;  but  if  it  prove  that 
these  buildings  are  also  to  "have  their  day  and  cease  to  be," 
it  will  be  because  the  Seminary,  by  the  good  providence  of 
God,  in  the  future  as  in  the  past  surpasses  the  most  sanguine 
expectations  of  its  enthusiastic  benefactors  and  sons. 


V. 
CHARGE  TO  THE  PRESIDENT-ELECT 

BY    THE    REVEREND 

CHARLES    H.    PARKHURST,   D.D.,  LL.D. 

OF    THE    BOARD    OF    DIRECTORS 

It  is  With  a  modest  kind  of  pleasure  that  I  have  assumed 
to  undertake  the  service  to  which  at  the  impulse  of  friendship 
you  have  personally  invited  me.  While  your  own  long  experi- 
ence in  the  Seminary  forbids  my  interpreting  with  much 
literalness  the  term  by  which  this  article  of  our  evening  pro- 
gramme is  designated,  yet  the  occasion  is  one  in  which  my 
simple  words  may  venture  to  graze  close  along  the  edge  of 
your  new  field  of  responsibility  and  to  set  forth  with  distinct 
brevity  some  of  the  required  features  of  the  institution  of 
which  you  now  become  a  kind  of  personal  embodiment. 

It  is  to  be  noted  as  a  pleasant  preliminary  that  you  are 
the  unanimous  and  the  unhesitating  choice  of  all  those  whose 
voice  is  technically  authoritative  in  the  premises,  saying 
nothing  of  a  very  large  outlying  constituency.  You  are 
enthroned  in  the  general  confidence.  The  fidelity  of  your 
prolonged  service;  your  appreciation  of  the  immanent  genius 
of  the  institution;  the  reserved  progressiveness  of  your 
scholarly  thought;  and  your  personal  experience  of  things 
which  outreach  the  power  of  words  to  tell  and  even  of  thought 
to  fashion, — all  of  this  combines  to  constitute  the  present 
hour  a  point  of  glad  and  confident  outlook. 

But  there  is  more  in  the  occasion  than  that.  The  atten- 
tion of  the  Christian  world  is  coming  more  and  more  to 
center  itself  upon  this  Seminary.  The  foundation  that  is  laid 
for  it  in  the  scholarly  fortitude  and  Christian  graces  that  have 

23 


24 

played  their  role  here  in  years  gone  by;  the  chivalry  evinced 
by  it  at  a  crisis  in  its  history  which  tested  its  nerve  and  multi- 
plied its  power;  its  rich  sympathy  with  the  world-wide  inter- 
ests of  the  Kingdom  of  Christ,  which  has  won  for  it  not  only 
a  national  but  an  international  regard;  not  to  speak  of  those 
more  material  evidences  of  strength  and  facilities  for  effective- 
ness, that  have  accrued  to  it  through  the  beneficent  devotion  of 
the  living  and  of  the  dead ;  such  are  some  of  the  considerations 
that  unite  to  create  for  Union  Seminary  a  position  of  marked 
conspicuity  and  to  impress  it  commandingly  upon  the  attention 
of  an  observant  Christian  world.  The  position  upon  which 
you  enter  must  certainly  fascinate  and  stimulate  you  by  its  op- 
portunities, even  while  it  humiliates  you  by  its  responsibilities. 

As  this  school  of  Christian  learning  sustains  a  concrete 
relation  to  the  particular  times  in  which  it  exists,  it  will  be  in 
point  to  notice  two  special  difficulties  which  your  graduates 
will  have  to  encounter  upon  entering  their  field  of  service. 
The  first  of  these  is  the  sensuousness  of  our  age,  induced  by 
its  exceptional  prosperity.  The  prevalent  consciousness  of 
men  is  a  consciousness  of  things.  The  aristocracy  of  the 
hour  is  an  aristocracy  not  of  birth,  nor  of  culture,  nor  of 
refinement,  but  an  aristocracy  of  wealth.  While  there  is 
poverty,  of  course,  the  mass  of  people  are  immensely  com- 
fortable, and  are  thus  condemned  to  a  benumbing  experience 
of  carnal  satisfaction.  Whatever  of  splendor  there  may  be  in 
the  upper  firmament  is  eclipsed  by  the  liberal  sunshine  that 
abounds  down  here  nearer  the  ground.  The  things  which  eye 
hath  not  seen  nor  ear  heard  do  not  count  conspicuously 
among  the  assets  of  Christian  proprietorship.  Every  preacher 
and  pastor  realizes  how  numerous  and  beautiful  are  the  excep- 
tions to  which  this  characterization  does  not  apply,  but  he 
also  knows  that  that  is  the  general  tone  of  the  environment 
within  which  his  work  has  to  be  done. 

It  is  an  influence  that  it  is  not  easy  to  stand  up  against. 
While  the  ministry  is  doing  something  to  purify  the  atmosphere 


25 

the  likelihood  is  that  the  atmosphere  will  do  something 
to  infect  the  ministry;  and  the  ability  that  it  will  have  to 
resist  such  infection  and  to  tell  upon  the  community  with 
spiritualizing  effect  will  depend  very  considerably  upon  the 
atmosphere  which  it  respires  during  the  final  three  years  of 
equipment  for  apostolic  work.  Such  an  institution  is  not 
primarily  scholastic,  but  inspirational.  The  fundamental 
educational  work  is  supposed  to  be  accomplished  in  students 
before  they  come  here.  I  am  not  urging  that  Union  Seminary 
should  be  a  kind  of  Protestant  monastery,  for  while  it  ought 
to  stand  in  close  touch  with  heaven  its  touch  with  earth 
should  be  equally  close.  I  mean  only  that  learning  previously 
acquired  should  be  taken  and  be  here  transmuted  into  the 
power  of  Gospel  effect.  Learning  per  se  is  unregenerate  and 
requires  conversion  and  sanctification.  Mental  discipline  is 
in  this  institution  a  condition  of  matriculation.  Such  disci- 
pline is  presumed.  That  datum  you  will  take  and  shape  and 
spiritualize  into  adaptedness  to  ministerial  service.  So  that 
while  not  treating  with  neglect  any  other  department  of  quali- 
fying effort  obligatory  upon  the  Seminary,  you  will  feel  that 
all  such  secondary  endeavor  is  without  justification,  save  as 
you  have  so  brought  and  held  your  students  in  conscious 
touch  with  influences  personal  and  divine,  and  have  so  taken 
them  from  time  to  time  up  into  a  high  mount  of  spiritual 
observation,  that  they  will  be  able  to  say  to  the  peoples,  bye 
and  bye,  "we  speak  that  we  know,  and  testify  that  we 
have  seen,"  and  be  able  to  translate  the  discovered  secrets  of 
the  heart  of  God  into  the  vocabulary  of  common  thinking. 

The  second  embarrassment  from  which  the  pulpit  is  at 
present  made  to  suffer  and  which  the  young  men  now  to  be 
under  your  presidential  charge  will  distinctly  experience  as 
soon  as  they  commence  addressing  themselves  to  thoughtful 
congregations,  is  the  prevailing  unsettled  state  of  doctrinal 
opinion.  And  a  serious  part  of  the  work  to  be  accomplished 
by  yourself  and  by  those  associated  with  you  in  the  Faculty 


26 

will  be  to  familiarize  your  students  with  the  situation  which, 
as  preachers,  they  will  have  to  confront,  and  to  adjust  them 
to  it. 

The  era  is  a  critical  one  and  not  easily  dealt  with.  The 
church  is  having  to  recede  from  certain  positions  which  it  had 
previously  treated  and  advertised  as  essential ;  the  natural 
result  is  a  disturbance  of  the  confidence  of  those  whose  con- 
currence the  pulpit  is  anxious  to  secure  and  to  hold.  The 
church  has  known  too  many  things  that  were  not  so. 

Then  again,  while  people  do  not  resent  truth,  they  will  not 
accept  it  in  the  form  in  which  it  used  to  be  presented,  and 
whether  we  are  or  are  not  pleased  with  their  attitude  there  is 
no  way  for  us  but  to  accommodate  ourselves  to  it.  Chris- 
tianity that  can  be  phrased  is  not  a  kind  of  pabulum  that 
excites  either  the  intellectual  or  the  moral  appetite  of  current 
church-goers.  Their  demand  is  for  truth  that  has  been 
wrought  out  in  the  personal  experience  of  those  who  attempt 
to  present  it.  Words  do  not  count  any  longer  except  as  they 
are  realized  to  be  the  minting  of  personality, — thought  and 
person  so  interfused  that  there  is  no  discoverable  cleavage 
line  between  the  two.  A  thousand  and  one  details  that  might 
without  violence  be  wrought  into  homiletical  address  are 
regarded  with  as  much  indifference  as  though  they  were 
minutiae  of  chemistry,  astronomy,  anthropology.  People  are 
still  vital,  very  vital,  and  show  themselves  such  if  vitally  dealt 
with;  and  sanctified  vitality  personally  incarnate  is  the  kind  of 
product  that  will  have  to  be  turned  out  here  if  it  is  to  tte  of 
a  sort  to  match  the  type  of  thought,  attitude  of  mind,  and 
temper  of  spirit,  that  your  students  are  going  to  be  brought 
face  to  face  with  outside. 

In  view  of  this  prevalent  unsettledment  of  doctrinal  opinion 
the  demand  imposed  upon  such  an  institution  as  this  is  espe- 
cially urgent  that  it  should  be  distinguished  not  so  much  for 
the  multiplicity  of  the  doctrines  which  it  promulgates  as  for 
the  confident  definiteness  with  which  it  promulgates  them. 


27 

The  Seminary  must  know  what  it  stands  for,  and  the  church 
and  general  public  must  know  what  it  stands  for  also.  It  is 
better  to  be  thoroughly  persuaded  of  an  error  than  not  to  be 
thoroughly  persuaded.  Temperamental  indecision,  the  habit 
of  not  being  quite  certain,  a  tendency  to  expatiate  on  positions 
abandoned  rather  than  on  positions  maintained,  any  symptoms 
of  that  negative  quality  of  mind  that  finds  satisfaction  in  con- 
verting the  convictions  of  people  into  interrogations  and  in 
that  way  propagating  a  spirit  of  doctrinal  incertitude  could 
never  work  greater  mischief  than  just  at  the  present  time, 
when  the  sentiment  is  so  generally  prevalent  that  a  good  deal 
of  what  has  been  believed  is  a  mistake,  that  nothing  can  be 
certainly  known  and  that  there  is  in  that  no  especial  occasion 
for  regret,  inasmuch  as  doctrines  are  supposedly  in  no  imme- 
diate way  relevant  to  life.  No  individual,  no  school  of  learning, 
secular  or  religious,  can  do  permanent  work  in  the  world  of 
character,  service  and  event,  that  is  not  distinctly  constructive 
in  its  entire  impulse,  and  that  is  not  understood  to  be  thus 
constructive;  and  the  Trustees  of  Union  Seminary,  anxious 
that  the  institution  should  not  only  be  inspired  by  that  type  of 
impulse,  but  that  it  should  be  recognized  throughout  the 
church  as  being  so  inspired,  would  never  have  called  you  to 
the  position  of  trust  which  you  are  now  going  to  occupy,  save 
as  your  progressiveness  was  recognized  by  them,  and  under- 
stood by  the  public  at  large,  to  be  tempered  by  a  spirit  of 
judicious  conservatism;  always  in  pursuit  of  broader  ground, 
but  intelligently  and  experimentally  confident  of  the  solidity 
of  the  ground  that  you  are  already  upon. 

In  view  of  the  breadth  of  your  own  thought  and  of  the 
clear  realization  which  you  have  that  the  reality  of  Christianity 
is  a  profound  reality  and  essentially  distinct  from  a  host  of 
contingencies  by  which,  in  the  course  of  the  centuries,  it  has 
become  embarrassingly  overlaid,  it  must  be  to  you  a  source  of 
large  satisfaction  that  this  Seminary  is  to  such  degree  released 
from  objective  trammels;  that  it  is  not  itself  distinctly 


28 

mortgaged  to  any  specific  fraternity  of  faith ;  that  without  being 
antagonistic  to  any  type  of  evangelical  persuasion,  it  com- 
prises within  itself  the  fundamental  genius  of  all  such  types ; 
that  it  is  its  comprehensive  purpose  simply  to  make  its  stu- 
dents spiritually,  enthusiastically  and  persuasively  Christian, 
establishing  them  thus  in  a  position  from  which  they  can 
readily  step  off  upon  any  line  of  denominational  service  to 
which  God,  chance,  or  personal  idiosyncrasy  may  invite  them. 

There  is  something  that  I  am  sure  you  must  find  intensely 
stimulating  in  the  thought  that  you  stand  at  the  educational 
head  of  an  institution  that  is  devoted  to,  and  fascinated  by, 
only  the  great  things  of  our  holy  faith,  that  the  prime  thought 
of  the  Seminary  gathers  about  what  Christianity  is  in  its 
innermost,  and  that  the  lines  of  enquiry  here  to  be  pursued 
are  those  which  in  devout  modesty  press  their  way  as  closely 
as  they  may  to  the  foot  of  the  Great  White  Throne  and  to  the 
foot  of  the  blood-stained  cross.  It  must  bring  to  you  seasons 
of  great  exaltation  of  mind  that  the  school  over  which  you 
are  to  preside  is  filling  the  eyes  of  your  students  with  visions, 
and  the  hearts  of  your  students  with  the  thrill  of  brightening 
experience,  and  that  from  this  center  of  prevailing  power 
they  are  to  go  forth  to  all  parts  of  our  own  country,  not  only, 
but  to  all  quarters  of  the  globe,  fertilizing  the  soil  of  the 
world's  thought  and  life  with  the  treasures  of  enrichment 
that  in  your  Seminary  they  have  been  accumulating. 

I  do  not  say  this  because  it  has  not  been  matter  of  your 
own  devout  meditation,  but  in  order  that  those  outside  of 
yourself  and  outside  of  this  institution  may  meditate  upon  it 
and  stimulatingly  realize  with  you  the  significance  of  the  hour 
and  the  far  reach  of  the  occasion;  for  the  secular  mind  only 
imperfectly  surmises  what  a  perennial  and  universal  fountain 
of  power  such  a  Seminary  is  when  its  springs  connect  with 
eternal  sources  of  supply. 

It  remains  only  to  remind  you  and  one  another  of  the 
peculiar  advantage  that  is  made  yours,  not  only  by  the  spirit 


Of 

UNIVERSITY 

••:  ' 


29 

which  has  pervaded  this  Seminary  in  remoter  years,  but  by 
the  strength  and  peculiar  quality  of  the  administration  that 
immediately  preceded  yours  and  whose  close,  —  premature  as 
it  seemed  to  us,  —  brought  surprise  and  sorrow  to  the  hearts 
of  us  all.  If  I  may  be  allowed  a  word  of  reference  to  myself: 
When  I  was  invited  to  the  pastorate  of  the  Madison  Square 
Church,  almost  the  most  difficult  element  entering  into  the 
problem  which  that  invitation  put  before  me  was  the  fact  that 
I  should  be  obliged  to  succeed  Dr.  Adams.  "And  what  can 
the  man  do  that  cometh  after  the  king  ?  "  The  answer  which 
this  hesitancy  of  mine  elicited  from  the  members  of  that  con- 
gregation was  that  there  was  no  man  that  I  could  find  less 
difficulty  in  succeeding  than  Dr.  Adams;  that  under  his  strong 
and  beneficent  administration  of  the  church  all  of  its  elements 
had  been  wrought  and  vitalized  into  that  condition  of  harmony 
which  afforded  the  most  perfect  and  grateful  preparation 
possible  for  whomsoever  might  venture  to  stand  in  his  place. 
The  same  is  to  be  said  of  the  spirit  that  was  diffused  here 
under  the  presidency  of  Dr.  Hall,  a  spirit  not  of  compromise 
but  of  reconciliation,  wherein  the  contradictory  elements  that 
in  foregoing  years  have  sometimes  haunted  the  dreams  of  the 
Presbyterian  communion,  have  by  the  magic  touch  of  God's 
spirit  as  evinced  through  Dr.  Hall  transmuted  antagonism 
into  sympathy,  and  done  very  much  not  only  toward  bringing 
the  Seminary  itself  to  a  higher  tone  of  life,  but  to  establish  it 
in  the  loving  confidence  of  all  who  love  our  Lord  and  Saviour 
Jesus  Christ.  Receive  then  from  us  all,  through  me,  our 
most  earnest  and  affectionate  congratulations  as  you  enter 
into  this  rich  heritage  of  responsibility  and  of  opportunity, 
and  every  sympathy  from  about  you  and  the  divine  power 
from  above  you  combine  to  work  in  you  confidence  and 
strength. 


VI. 
THE    INAUGURAL   ADDRESS 

THEOLOGY  AS   THE    SERVANT   OF 
RELIGION 

BY    THE    REVEREND    PRESIDENT 

FRANCIS    BROWN,   Ph.D.,   D.D.,   D.LITT.,   LL.D. 

Mr.  President,  Members  of  the  Board  of  Directors,  Colleagues 
in  the  Faculty,  Alumni,  Students,  Honourable  Guests,  Friends 
of  the  Union  Theological  Seminary  : 

In  an  obvious  sense,  the  service  of  this  afternoon,  with  all 
its  brevity,  overshadows  the  service  of  this  evening.  Institu- 
tions are  more  than  men.  We  have  a  succession  of  Professors 
and  Presidents,  but  we  do  not  often  make  a  move  so  significant 
as  that  which  was  instituted  to-day.  The  advancing  tide  ran 
far  up  the  beach  this  afternoon.  Now  it  recedes,  and  we  wait 
a  little  for  the  next  advance.  This  evening  no  new  element 
is  introduced  into  our  Seminary  life.  You  are  asked  to  take 
part  in  a  simple  readjustment  of  our  force. 

This  readjustment  is,  of  course,  serious  enough  for  me.  It 
involves  grave  personal  responsibilities.  And  for  all  of  us  the 
hour  is  solemnized  by  the  event  which  has  led  to  it.  When 
Dr.  Charles  Cuthbert  Hall  died,  a  life  of  beauty  and  of  in- 
fluence, apart  and  notable,  went  out  of  our  sight.  He  was  so 
pure-minded,  so  eager,  so  idealistic;  his  hopes  were  so  large; 
he  was  so  appreciative  of  scholarship  and,  even  more,  of  per- 
sonality; he  was  so  sympathetic  and  responsive,  so  ready  in 
utterance  and  so  deep  in  feeling,  so  refined  in  culture  and  so 
untiring  in  ministry,  that  he  touched  lives  closely  and  widely. 

30 


31 

We  have  lost  him  from  among  us.  He  cannot  be  replaced, 
and  he  will  not  be  forgotten.  He  has  left  his  impress  on  his 
office  and,  beyond  his  office,  we  give  thanks  for  the  world-wide 
service  he  was  enabled  to  render  to  God  and  men, — although 
it  cost  us  him. 

If  to  watch  duty  nobly  done  could  equip  one  for  like  duties, 
I  should  not  lack  qualification.  There  have  been  four  Presi- 
dents of  this  Faculty  since  the  revival  of  the  office  in  1873,  and 
I  have  had  the  privilege  of  knowing  them  all.  The  dignity 
and  standing  with  which  Dr.  Adams  invested  everything  he 
undertook,  his  firm  grasp,  his  easy  movement  among  great 
men  and  large  affairs,  his  broad1  judgment,  his  gifts  at  presiding 
and  representation,  his  ripe  experience,  his  thoughtful  kind- 
ness clothe  my  picture  of  him  with  royalty.  Dr.  Hitchcock 
made  his  mark  by  incisiveness  of  thought  and  vivid  picturesque- 
ness  of  language — the  expression  of  studies  that  were  deep 
and  varied,  reflection  that  was  tinged  with  solemnity,  and  a 
temperament  rich,  intense,  and  chastened.  I  recall  especially 
his  sense  of  the  social  crisis,  and  his  prophetic  challenge  to 
careless  wealth.  As  for  Dr.  Hastings,  if  I  had  asked  him  he 
would  not  have  let  me  say  what  I  must  say  of  him.  He  was 
our  helmsman  in  stormy  times.  As  we  rode  out  the  storm  we 
came  to  know  his  courage  and  his  poise,  his  insight  and  his 
decision,  his  statesmanlike  estimate  of  the  necessary  and  the 
possible,  his  unfailing  good  sense,  his  loyalty  to  his  trust,  his 
high  minded  chivalry,  his  skill  in  administration,  his  immov- 
ability, like  granite,  as  to  principle,  his  gracious  suavity  in 
the  modes  of  intercourse  with  men.  We  rejoice  that  he  is 
still  spared  to  us  and  still  at  work  with  us,  and  if  we  make  a 
hero  of  him,  to  his  face,  it  is  not  simply  because  he  has  lived 
many  years,  but  because  his  life  among  us  bears,  indelibly, 
the  heroic  stamp. 

If  personal  words  force  their  way  to  my  lips  you  will 
pardon  it  to  one  more  than  half  whose  life — the  maturer  and 
richer  half — has  been  spent  in  association  with  the  men  of 


32 

this  Seminary.  I  am  permitted,  still,  to  retain  my  place  upon 
the  teaching  staff.  While  I  am  introduced  to  these  new  duties 
by  the  cordial  unanimity  of  the  Board  of  Directors,  and  wel- 
comed in  them  with  warmth  and  responsiveness  by  the  students, 
and  sustained  under  the  thought  of  them  by  messages  that 
bring  tears  to  one's  eyes  from  generations  of  the  alumni — the 
affectionate  heartiness  of  my  brothers  in  the  Faculty  assures 
me  that  we  still  belong  together  in  that  rare  fellowship,  more 
intimate  and  delightful,  I  am  sure,  than  is  often  permitted  to 
so  large  a  group  of  men — where  appreciation,  and  consider- 
ateness,  and  the  esteeming  of  others  better  than  themselves 
are  characteristic  features  of  daily  life.  They  do  not  regard 
me  as  set  apart  from  them,  but  only  as  designated,  for  the  time, 
for  special  functions  in  which  I  may  represent  them,  as  still  one 
of  them. 

My  own  particular  department,  that  of  the  Old  Testament, 
is  an  exacting  one — if  a  man  will  take  the  measure  of  it — and 
I  could  not  retain  it  under  the  new  conditions  if  it  were  not 
for  the  abundant  labours  of  my  associates  in  it,  for  whose 
readiness  to  assume  fresh  responsibilities  I  am  glad  to  express 
my  thanks  in  public.  The  Professorship  came  to  me  as  an 
inheritance  from  my  honoured  teacher  and  beloved  friend,  Dr. 
Briggs.  I  owe  to  him  a  personal  debt  which  I  can  never  pay, 
and  which,  indeed,  I  have  long  ceased  to  regard  under  the 
aspect  of  a  debtor's  obligation,  or  any  other  commercial  figure. 
This  is  not  the  time  for  enlargement  on  the  intimate  side  of 
my  relations  with  him.  But  if  the  Davenport  Professorship 
has  been  of  worth  for  this  Seminary  and  for  Biblical  Scholar- 
ship, it  is  because  he  made  it  so.  When  the  record  of  his 
life,  devoted  to  this  Seminary  and  to  Christian  learning  in 
many  fields,  is  finally  made  up,  his  brave  championship  of 
Christian  freedom,  maintained  at  painful  cost,  his  establish- 
ment of  the  Biblical  departments  of  this  Seminary  on  a  strong 
foundation,  and  his  prolonged  services  to  constructive  Biblical 
scholarship,  crowned  by  his  profound  and  far-reaching  studies 


33 

in  Christian  Irenics,  and  the  simplicity  of  his  Christian  faith 
and  life,  will  entitle  him  to  a  place  among  the  few  really  great 
theologians  whom  this  country  has  produced. 

It  would  be  easy  and  congenial  to  me,  and  doubtless,  from 
the  point  of  view  of  competence,  wholly  wise,  if  I  were  to 
take  my  specific  theme  to-night  from  this,  my  own  familiar 
department.  It  bristles  with  topics  of  interest,  which  I  should 
be  glad  to  discuss.  But  the  occasion  forces  a  somewhat  wider 
range.  The  President  of  our  Faculty  is  not  simply  a  Pro- 
fessor. He  is  representative  of  all  the  Professors.  Each  one 
of  us  is  a  specialist,  more  or  less  distinctly,  in  his  chosen 
field.  Each  knows  much  that  the  rest  do  not  know.  We 
divide  our  labour.  But  we  are  united  in  certain  great 
interests.  Our  special  fields  are,  as  we  conceive  them,  related 
to  these* great  and  central  interests  of  our  work,  and  thus  we 
find  our  harmony. 

I  am  emboldened  to  try  to  make  of  this  occasion  an 
opportunity  for  a  kind  of  confession  of  our  common  faith — 
not  a  complete  creed,  of  course,  but  a  brief  statement  of 
working  principles.  I  do  this  without  apprising  my  colleagues 
beforehand  of  what  I  mean  to  say,  and  I  must,  of  course, 
take  all  the  risks  involved.  In  any  case  I  assume  the  whole 
responsibility,  and  if  they  feel  that  I  flagrantly  misrepresent 
them  they  are  at  liberty  to  rise  in  their  places  and  confute 
me — or,  which  is  more  like  them,  to  take  me  quietly  and 
kindly,  but  frankly,  to  task,  at  the  first  private  opportunity. 

I  am  emboldened,  and  indeed  constrained,  to  make  this 
venture,  by  the  significance  of  this  day. 

Dr.  Hall  was  inaugurated  on  the  8th  of  February,  1898, 
and  took  for  the  subject  of  his  Inaugural  Address,  as  some 
here  will  remember,  "The  Expansion  of  the  Seminary."  He 
dwelt  on  four  lines  of  development,  possible  and  desirable: — 
the  Academic  or  scholarly  line,  the  University  Extension 
line,  the  line  of  Social  Service,  and  the  line  of  Spiritual  Power. 


34 

We  have  made  some  advance  since  then.  We  cannot 
claim  to  have  realized  all  he  hoped  for.  Much  remains  only 
an  ideal.  But  we  cherish  the  ideal,  and,  while  he  was  yet 
with  us,  we  were  enabled  to  go  in  some  directions  even 
beyond  what  he  could  then  discern.  The  long  history  of  this 
Seminary  has  been  one  of  progress  and  hope.  The  faith  of 
our  founders  was  prophetic.  I  remember  a  half  hour  spent 
with  the  last  survivor  of  them,*  when  he  was  more  than 
ninety-five,  and  misunderstandings  and  discouragements  were 
rife  about  the  Seminary,  and  the  spirit  of  an  ancient  seer 
possessed  him,  and  he  described  with  serene  assurance,  bear- 
ing the  tone  of  triumph,  the  effectiveness  and  influence  which 
he  foresaw. 

We  have  some  advantages  which  he  could  not  anticipate. 
I  allude  here,  specifically,  to  the  resumption  by  the  Seminary 
of  its  chartered  freedom  in  respect  of  ecclesiastical  and  con- 
fessional obligation,  and  the  removal  to  the  new  site,  with  all 
that  this  involves  and  promises.  Neither  of  these  things  was 
dreamed  of  ten  years  ago. 

Now  the  removal  of  bonds  and  the  widening  of  opportunity 
always  must  quicken  the  conscience  of  serious  men.  These 
are  great  gifts  that  have  come  to  us.  We  are  impelled  to  ask 
questions  of  ourselves.  How  are  we  going  to  justify  these 
gifts?  How  shall  we  justify  our  freedom?  How  shall  we 
justify  this  great  expenditure  for  land  and  buildings?  The 
men  who  have  worked  our  freedom  have  wrought  daringly 
and  nobly.  The  benefactors  who  have  given  freely  have  the 
reward  of  the  generous  soul.  The  chief  of  them,f  who  fell  on 
sleep  last  year,  was  a  man  of  proved  sagacity  also.  Was  his 
sagacity  at  fault  in  this?  And  if  not,  why  not?  By  what 
right  do  we  enter  into  the  enjoyment  of  these  privileges? 
What  account  are  we  prepared  to  give  of  our  stewardship? 

We  cannot  justify  ourselves  by  any  negative  formula,  by 
trying  to  prove  that  our  freedom  does  not  mean  license,  or 
that  our  ampler  equipment  will  not  lessen  our  zeal  for  good 

*  Charles  Butler,  LL.D.,  a  member  of  the  Board  of  Directors,  1836-1897;  its  Vice- 
President,  1841-1870,  and  its  President,  1870-1897;  died  December  isth,  1897. 

t  D.  Willis  James,  a  member  of  the  Board  of  Directors,  1867-1907,  and  its  Vice-President 
1898-1907 ;  died  September  13,  1907. 


35 

things.  We  must  justify  ourselves  and  our  benefactors  by 
something  of  positive  value  to  the  life  of  men.  As  the 
formula  of  this  value  I  suggest  "  Theology  as  the  Servant 
of  Religion."  It  will  give  us  a  theme  for  brief  development. 
I  trust  it  may  stand  for  the  programme  of  the  Seminary. 

"  Religion  "  has  been  made  sometimes  to  consist  in  institu- 
tions, and  acts  of  worship, — performances  of  some  kind. 
Others  have  meant  by  it  solely  the  inner  relation  of  the  soul 
with  the  superhuman.  I  cannot  catalogue  the  definitions.  It 
will  answer,  for  our  purpose,  to  understand  by  " religion" 
those  living  convictions  and  experiences  of  God  which 
determine  conduct,  together  with  the  conduct  which  is  so 
determined. 

By  "theology"  I  mean  the  objective  study  and  ordered 
statement  of  those  convictions  and  experiences  of  God  which 
are  presented  by  religion,  together  with  the  enunciation  of  its 
rules  of  conduct. 

And  what  I  desire  to  say  is  that  theological  study  and 
statement  are  distinctly  related  to  religion,  and  that  they  are 
so  not  only  in  the  sense  that  they  derive  their  material  from 
it,  but  also  iu  the  sense  that  they  are  subsidiary  to  religion, 
and  that  in  this  latter  fact  is  to  be  found  the  justification  of 
the  freedom  and  the  enlarged  facilities  of  the  Seminary. 

A.  i.  This  is  an  institution  of  religion.  It  was  founded 
by  religious  men,  with  a  religious  purpose.  We  are  set  to 
promote  religion.  The  men  we  send  out  are  supposed  to 
know  religion.  They  may  not  be  experts  in  all  things;  some 
of  them  may  not  be  experts  in  anything  else; — but  they  will 
not  be  easily  forgiven  if  they  do  not  shew  some  first-hand 
acquaintance  with  religion. 

The  fruit  of  religion  is  character.  It  is  the  religious  char- 
acter that  gives  us  our  concern.  And  religious  character  is 
not  mere  flawlessness;  it  it  not  a  static  phenomenon;  it  is 
dynamic;  a  thing  of  peace  and  calm,  but  also  a  thing  of 


36 

power.  Character  is  informed  by  principle  and  energized  by 
purpose,  and  wrought  into  life.  We  do  not  care  for  religion 
that  is  not  manifest  in  living  character. 

The  great  issue  that  faces  our  modern  world  is,  as  we  see 
it,  the  issue  between  two  conceptions  and  ideals  of  life, 
antagonistic  and  mutually  exclusive.  The  difference  between 
them  is  the  difference  between  self-assertion  and  self-devotion, 
between  faith  in  goodness  without  regard  to  present  personal 
advantage  and  the  resolve  of  personal  advantage  and  satisfac- 
tion at  any  cost.  One  opens  windows  into  heaven,  the  other 
lifts  neither  hand  nor  eye  above  the  earth.  And,  on  the  earth, 
one  grasps  and  the  other  offers.  One  is  bent  on  getting  and 
the  other  on  giving.  One  seeks  to  use,  and  the  other  to  be  of 
use.  One  is  predatory  and  the  other  benevolent.  One  sees 
antagonisms  and  the  other  opportunities.  Strength  and  skill 
to  fight  men  are  the  chief  virtues  on  one  side.  Eagerness  to 
serve  men  is  the  vital  breath  of  the  other.  Both  can  shew 
force,  and  virility  and  concentrated  purpose.  Both  have 
fascination  for  mankind.  The  one  appeals  to  the  instinct  of 
snatching,  at  whatever  cost  to  the  rest,  and  the  other  to  the 
authority  of  sacrifice  for  the  sake  of  the  rest. 

These  two  principles  of  life  are  opposed  to  each  other. 
In  actual  society  we  do  not  usually  find  them  quite  unmixed. 
The  predatory  are  often  kind  and  affectionate  in  certain  spheres 
and  relations.  The  helpful  are  self-respecting,  industrious, 
independent,  seeking  their  own  maintenance,  and  in  many 
things,  their  own  benefit,  and  that  of  those  who  belong  to 
them.  But  the,  question  is,  What  is  the  ultimate  aim,  the 
controlling  desire,  the  dominating  and  determining  purpose 
of  the  life  ?  Underneath  all  names  and  professions,  under- 
neath all  conventions  and  all  veneerings,  the  ultimate  principles 
work  in  perpetual  conflict,  for  one  is  godless  and  its  name  is 
selfishness,  and  the  name  of  the  other  is  love. 

Now  we  are  committed,  with  all  our  energy,  to  the  latter 
of  these  two.  We  do  not  offer  ourselves  as  models — far  from 


37 

it.  We  are  ashamed  of  ourselves  in  view  of  the  splendid  pos- 
sibilities of  the  life  of  love,  while  we  exhibit  so  little  of  them. 
But  in  all  sincerity,  and  without  reserve,  we  desire  to  throw 
ourselves  upon  that  side,  and  devote  ourselves  to  that  end. 
The  prevalence  of  the  self-assertive  spirit  means  perpetual 
warfare,  violence,  brutality, — ugly  things.  We  desire  fellow- 
ship, harmony,  considerateness,  co-operation,  the  growth  and 
fruitage  of  human  life.  We  think  the  development  of  the 
serviceable  character  is  a  great  public  benefit,  and  that  insti- 
tutions which  promote  it  are  of  public  use.  The  inspiration 
and  power  for  this  life  we  find  in  our  religion.  It  seems  to  us 
that  without  religion  the  world  is  dark  and  the  efforts  of  men 
lack  permanent  incentive  and  hope. 

We  do  indeed  desire  to  clasp  hands  with  all  those  who  are 
doing  the  works  which  we  regard  as  pertaining  to  the  practical 
religious  life,  whether  or  not  they  profess  religion,  and  what- 
ever their  opinions  as  to  the  reality  of  religion.  We  remember 
that  our  Master  rebuked  zealous  disciples  who  forbade  a  healer 
of  demoniacs  because  he  was  not  of  their  company.  We 
ourselves  feel  rebuked  when  we  see  the  unselfish  services 
rendered  by  those  who  do  not  share  our  faith  and  cannot  find 
reality  in  our  creeds.  We  need  every  aid  in  casting  out  the 
demons  of  our  time.  But  we  say,  frankly,  that  we  get  our 
inspiration  and  power  from  our  religion.  We  should  not  all 
agree  with  Matthew  Arnold's  account  of  religion  as  "morality 
touched  by  emotion,"  but  we  all  believe  that  morality  needs 
to  be  touched  by  emotion.  And  this  touch,  which  gives  it 
endurance  and  fire,  and  organizes  it  about  a  central  purpose, 
we  gain  from  our  religion.  WTe  believe  in  God.  From  the 
distortions  and  moral  tragedies  of  the  world  we  resort  to  God, 
and  come  back  reinforced  for  life  in  the  world.  We  desire  to 
know  more  of  fellowship  with  God,  and  its  joy.  And  we  greatly 
believe  in  its  power  to  set  right  the  common  life.  It  is  religion 
that  turns  ethics  into  righteousness.  If  its  morality  has  been 
sometimes  narrow,  and  its  emotion  fierce,  it  is  only  because 


38 

humanity,  even  religious  humanity,  is  a  dull  scholar,  and 
learns  its  best  lessons  slowly.  Give  religion  time,  and  it  will 
build  its  road  wide  enough  and  offer  its  gifts  with  genial  hand. 
Religion  is  more  than  social  ethics,  but  without  social  ethics 
it  is  devitalized.  "  He  that  loveth  not  his  brother,  whom  he 
hath  seen,  cannot  love  God,  whom  he  hath  not  seen."  It 
rears  hospitals  as  well  as  churches,  and  trains  the  nurse's 
fingers.  It  plants  the  social  settlement  and  supports  it.  It 
inspires  benevolence  and  respect  for  people.  It  may  even 
induce  forgetfulness  of  the  rules  for  one's  own  life,  in  the 
claims  of  other  lives.  Thus  conduct  becomes  the  expression 
of  religion,  according  to  the  word  of  the  practical  apostle: 
"Pure  religion  and  undefiled,  before  our  God  and  Father,  is 
this,  to  visit  the  fatherless  and  widows  in  their  affliction,  and 
to  keep  himself  unspotted  from  the  world." 

2.  It  is  the  Christian  religion  in  which  we  find  this  reno- 
vating social  force.  The  spirit  of  serviceable  love  is  embodied 
for  us  in  Jesus,  whom  we  call  the  Christ,  and  we  are  Christians 
— Christ's  men — with  heart  and  soul. 

We  recognize  this  spirit  with  gladness  in  other  religions 
which  do  not  call  themselves  Christian,  and  would  reject  the 
name.  It  is  a  delight  to  find  common  ground  with  these.  We 
desire  to  enlarge  it  to  its  utmost  limits.  Love  must  teach  us 
to  see  the  good,  everywhere.  We  have  to  acknowledge,  with 
confusion  of  face,  how  often  the  Christian  name  has  been  dis- 
graced by  attitudes  of  hate,  and  acts  of  cruelty,  which 
were  barbarous  and  wicked  —  how  faithless  Christianity  has 
often  been  to  its  own  character,  and  persecuted  where  it 
should  have  loved  and  cherished.  We  are  trying  to  learn 
our  lesson  better.  In  this  we  are  obeying,  also,  a  social 
demand.  The  common  elements  in  religion  vindicate  them- 
selves when  all  religion  is  challenged.  The  fruits  of  religion 
are  not  confined  to  trees  with  the  Christian  label.  And 
it  was  our  Master,  again,  who  said,  "By  their  fruits  ye 
shall  know  them."  We  Christians  have  no  monopoly  of 


39 

goodness,  nor  have  we  exhausted  the  meaning  of  the  religious 
life. 

But,  in  fact,  we  get  our  standard  and  our  inspiration  from 
Jesus  Christ.  By  his  character  we  are  willing  to  stand  or  fall. 
His  purpose  of  life  we  desire  to  make  our  own.  And  this  is 
our  answer  to  those  who  regard  our  ideal  as  weak,  emas- 
culated, unfit  for  world-wide  realization,  an  object,  at  best, 
for  patronizing  contempt — and  who  feel  no  enthusiasm  at  the 
figure  of  Jesus,  who  think  Him  feeble — a  negative  character 
without  force  or  promise.  We  find  in  the  absorbing  purpose 
of  His  life  a  strength  both  finer  and  more  tenacious  than  the 
arrogance  of  self-assertion — a  nobility  that  towers  above  the 
ambition  of  any  man.  Jesus  Christ  is  not  a  weakling,  but  a 
magnificent  type  of  manhood,  too  strong  to  be  merely  self- 
assertive,  too  strong  to  care  about  His  rights  and  claims — 
strong  to  conceive  the  greatest,  strong  to  dare  and  endure, 
strong  to  believe  and  to  hope  unto  the  very  end.  In  his  pur- 
pose lies,  for  us,  the  redemption  of  mankind  individually  and 
socially,  the  conquest  of  the  beast  in  men,  the  renovation  of 
the  peoples,  the  prevalence  of  justice,  and  of  the  qualities 
which  are  more  delicate  and  more  controlling  than  justice — 
humanity,  thoughtfulness,  kindness  and  love — the  establish- 
ment of  the  divine  upon  the  earth. 

We  speak  of  the  divine  and  we  call  Jesus  the  Christ,  bor- 
rowing the  old  Jewish  term  of  Anointed  One  in  its  Greek  dress, 
to  express  the  idea  of  His  sacred  commission  from  God. 

The  relation  with  God  is  fundamental  to  our  Christian  re- 
ligion because  its  practical  purpose  is  God's  purpose,  and  ex- 
presses the  inmost  desire  of  God.  This  is  the  very  life  of  God. 
By  taking  part  in  this  life  we  share  the  life  of  God,  and  glorify 
Him.  And  there  is  no  other  way  of  doing  it.  We  may  take 
refuge  from  the  uncompromising  demands  of  the  spiritual  life 
in  the  passive  enjoyment  of  communion  with  God.  We  may 
revel  in  great  truths  about  Him.  We  may  rest  in  His  care  for 
us.  But  we  do  not  really  know  Him,  nor  have  fellowship  with 


40 

Him,  until  we  put  ourselves  at  the  service  of  His  human 
children,  at  whose  service  He  puts  Himself.  And  if  we  seem 
to  speak  too  freely  about  God,  as  if  we  were  in  His  confidence, 
and  were  forgetting  the  reserve  which  befits  our  utterance 
about  His  majestic  being,  we  can  only  say  that  our  spirits  have 
gone  to  school  to  Jesus  Christ,  that  this  seems  to  us  His 
deepest  revelation,  that  this  attitude  toward  life,  this  purpose 
in  life,  finds  a  thrill  of  response  in  our  souls  which  does  not 
permit  us  to  doubt  that  it  is  the  highest  that  human  thought 
can  conceive,  and  that  our  God  must  embody  for  us  this  high- 
est conception  of  our  thought,  or  He  ceases  to  be  our  God, 
and  that  Jesus  attests  like  faith  toward  His  God — that  His 
God  and  our  God  are  one  and  the  same. 

More  than  this.  Our  age  is  chary  of  metaphysics  in  its 
religion;  but,  the  more  we  dwell  on  the  matter  and  see  with 
what  self-abandonment  He  devoted  himself  to  men  in  the  ful- 
filment of  His  thought  of  life  as  self-devotion,  and  with  what 
superb  assurance  He  declared  that  this  was  the  temper  of  God, 
the  more  necessary  it  seems  to  us,  from  the  ethical  side,  to 
insist  on  the  peculiar  relationship  between  Him  and  God  which 
the  Christian  centuries  have  argued  from  the  metaphysical 
side  in  a  way  which  has  somewhat  lost  the  ear  of  the  present 
generation.  It  would  be  rash  to  say  that  this  hearing  may  not 
be  regained  hereafter.  In  the  meantime  we  make  the  same 
great  connection,  in  practical  effect,  when  we  avow  that  Jesus 
is  the  very  revelation  of  God's  character,  and  God's  purpose 
— that  "God  was  in  Christ",  and  that  as  we  bow  in  reverence 
before  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  we  are  worshipping  God,  in  Him. 

Thus  then  our  standard  is  imposed  upon  us,  and  our  pur- 
pose is  set  for  us  with  all  the  splendid  authority  of  perfect 
righteousness.  We  have  often  failed  to  attain  it.  We  have 
frittered  away  much  of  our  life.  We  are  to  blame  for  our 
failure  and  our  waste.  Jesus  brings  to  us  also  a  message  of 
forgiveness  from  God,  and  of  strength  for  a  new  life  through 
His  Spirit.  When  we  are  led  to  adopt  His  plan,  there  is  the 


41 

beginning  of  the  new  life.  Only  the  beginning,  but  still  the 
beginning.  The  beginning  is  not  to  us  the  whole  Gospel,  nor 
the  chief  part  of  the  Gospel.  But  it  is  so  great — the  contrast 
between  the  serviceable  life  and  the  selfish  one  is  so  wide — and 
the  joy  of  active  self-surrender  to  the  noblest  is  so  uplifting, 
that  we  cannot  wonder  at  the  stress  that  has  been  laid  upon 
it,  and  the  space  devoted  to  it  in  historic  expositions  of  the 
Christian  faith.  It  is,  however,  only  the  beginning.  It  is 
elementary.  It  is  merely  the  introduction  to  the  long  life  of 
love  and  service  which  is  the  main  thing  for  us  all.  It  is  the 
fulfilment  of  this  one  end  in  life  to  which  Jesus  brings  us  in 
His  life  and  death,  removing  the  hindrances,  establishing  us 
in  such  relations  with  God,  and  possessing  us  with  such  eager- 
ness to  reproduce  the  life  of  God,  that  we  must  accomplish 
His  desire  and  join  Him  in  the  great  work  of  redeeming  and 
restoring  His  world  of  men. 

3.  We  are  also  Protestant  Christians.  This  term  is  very 
dear  to  many.  It  has  a  sacred  history  of  nearly  four  hundred 
years.  If  we  had  to  choose  a  name  afresh  we  probably  should 
not  select  exactly  this.  It  is  too  negative.  Opposition  to 
other  Christians,  even  those  from  whom  we  seriously  differ — 
an  attitude  of  perpetual  protest — does  not  express  what  is 
most  characteristic  in  our  faith  and  our  purpose.  The  recog- 
nition of  our  own  need  of  reformation  in  many  things  enables 
us  to  do  some  justice  to  the  reforming  forces  within  the  great 
parent  church  of  the  West,  and  the  dormant  energies  of  life 
which  we  hope  to  see  waking  up  within  the  historic  Oriental 
churches,  still  so  largely  slumbering.  We  desire  with  each 
of  them,  wherever  we  can  touch  them,  all  the  fellowship 
they  will  permit  us  to  have.  We  are  glad  of  what  they 
achieve  in  the  common  work.  It  is  our  achievement, 
achieved  for  our  cause,  though  not  by  us.  We  desire  to 
share  with  them,  and  to  have  them  share  with  us,  those 
treasures  which  each  of  us  has  in  any  larger  measure  than  the 
other.  We  believe  that  we  shall,  some  day.  Each  time  we 


42 

say  the  Creed  we  avow   our   belief    "  in   the  Holy  Catholic 
Church." 

But  we  ourselves  are  Protestants.  That  is  the  line  of  our 
heritage.  That  is  the  type  of  our  choice.  That  is  the  main 
sphere  of  our  life.  That  is  the  mode  in  which  we  find  it  most 
clearly  possible  to  serve  our  generation  in  the  knowledge  of 
God.  And  all  the  while  we  acknowledge  that  we  know  in 
part,  and  we  prophesy  in  part,  and  we  have  no  doubt  that 
when  that  which  is  perfect  shall  come,  that  which  is  in  part 
will  be  done  away. 

B.  But  we  are  more  than  an  institution  of  religion.  A 
church  or  a  synagogue  would  be  that.  We  are  an  institution 
of  theological  knowledge  and  our  specific  function  is  the 
application  of  theology  to  religion. 

In  the  exposition  of  our  religious  faith  and  purpose 
already  given,  which  we  hope  may  from  the  social  standpoint 
justify  our  privileges  to  some  degree,  the  simple  principles  of 
our  theology  have  been  already  involved,  and  in  part 
expressed. 

i.  We  do  not  regard  theology  as  identical  with  religion. 
Theology  is  an  exercise  of  the  intellect,  like  all  scientific 
processes.  It  takes  the  materials  furnished  it  by  religion,  and 
seeks  to  classify  and  relate  them.  It  is  a  high  exercise  of  the 
intellect.  But  it  is  not  the  same  thing  with  the  convictions 
and  experiences  and  modes  of  life  which  supply  its  phe- 
nomena, and  in  which  religion  consists.  Religion  lives  within 
these  phenomena — throws  them  out  as  its  manifestation. 
Theology  observes  the  phenomena  from  without,  and  con- 
structs its  theory  of  religion  by  generalizing  from  them.  The 
theologian  must  have  sympathy  with  his  phenomena,  to  under- 
stand them,  and  the  true  theologian  must  therefore  be  himself 
a  man  of  religion;  but  he  is  not  practicing  religion  in  the  act 
of  observing  the  religious  phenomena,  or  accepting  them  as 
genuine,  or  stating  them  as  true. 


43 

2.  Theology,  except  in  some  very  few  primary  thoughts, 
is  not  even  absolutely  essential  to  religion.     "He  that  cometh 
to  God  must  believe  that  He  is,  and  that  He  is  a  rewarder  of 
them  that  diligently  seek  Him  " — but  how  slender  that  belief 
may  sometimes  be!  and  how  luxuriant  may  sometimes  be  the 
life-product  of  a  man  whose  lips  can  hardly  shape  themselves 
to  stammer  out  the  briefest  "  Credo  !  " 

Religion,  if  we  must  compare  them,  is  a  great  deal  more 
important  than  theology.  And  what  glorious  hope  and  cheer 
there  is  in  this,  when  we  are  struggling  to  understand  the  great 
verities  by  which  some  men  simply  live  ! 

In  a  reaction  from  the  claim  of  theology  to  determine  and 
to  measure  religion, — a  claim  by  which  the  bruised  reed  has 
been  often  broken,  and  the  smoking  flax  quenched,  to  the 
grief  of  God, — it  has  grown  popular  to  declare  that  religion 
is  independent  of  theology  altogether,  or  at  least  to  decry  the 
teaching  of  theology  as  not  helpful  to  religion. 

3.  Against    these    extremes, — both    superficial,    perhaps 
equally  so, — we  maintain  that  theology  is  not  useless  to  religion, 
but  serves  it,  and  that  theology  is  not  identical  with  religion, 
nor  in  any  extended  sense  its  absolute  condition,  but  is,  again, 
its  helpful  servant. 

Theology  is  the  servant  of  religion  by  helping  to  define  it, 
by  distinguishing  it  from  counterfeits,  and  separating  it  from 
non-essential  accretions.  It  is  the  servant  of  religion  by  in- 
terpreting it,  aiding  religion  to  understand  itself,  making  it 
intelligent,  and  giving  it  a  larger  appeal  to  intelligence.  It 
is  the  servant  of  religion  by  increasing  the  range  of  religion, 
the  vast  sweep  of  truth  which  theology  contemplates  widening 
the  field  of  religion  and  heightening  its  grandeur.  It  is  the 
servant  of  religion  by  energizing  it,  supplying  it  with  fresh 
motive  and  stimulus,  acting  upon  it  as  positive  opinion  always 
tends  to  pass  over  into  action.  It  gives  rational  assurance  of 
the  realities  on  which  religion  feeds.  I  hint  only  at  aspects 
of  its  service,  I  do  not  exhaust  them. 


44 

Theology  has  possibilities  of  usefulness  to  religion,  how- 
ever it  is  studied.  As  far  as  it  is  true,  it  has  them  in  the 
capacity  of  a  University  discipline.  It  shares  the  majestic 
value  of  all  truth.  It  is  a  tonic  and  a  rich  furniture  for  the 
mind.  Like  natural  and  historical  science,  with  which  it  has 
methods  and  data  in  common,  and  even  more  than  these,  it 
has  the  right  to  claim  the  attention  due  great  knowledge  from 
a  self-respecting  mind.  Like  philosophy,  with  which  also  it 
has  data  and  methods  in  common,  and  even  more  than  this, 
it  is  an  education  in  the  potencies  of  the  unseen.  It  is  a  bar- 
rier to  the  materialistic  life.  It  is  a  reminder  of  eternal 
values.  We  are  glad  to  teach  any  theology  we  know  to  any 
capable  student,  whatever  purpose  he  has  in  knowing  it. 

But  our  privileges  are  not  justified  by  the  abstract  value 
of  theology  as  a  branch  of  human  learning.  At  most,  this 
might  vindicate  the  University  Faculty  of  theology,  as  a  group 
of  Professors  of  the  theory  of  religion. 

This  Seminary  was  founded,  and  exists,  in  the  interests  of 
practical  religion,  for  the  uses  of  a  practical  ministry,  and  it 
is  theological  to  this  end.  I  shall  not  be  misunderstood  as  I 
say  this.  The  practical  ministry  cannot  afford  to  limit  itself 
to  those  aspects  of  theology  whose  practical  application  is 
obvious  and  direct.  Part  of  the  shallowness  of  the  ministry 
is  due  to  this  limitation  of  the  uses  of  theology.  We  con- 
template, not  something  less  than  a  full,  scientific  study  of 
theology,  but  something  more.  All  the  mass  of  scientific 
detail,  all  the  rigour  of  scientific  method,  all  the  thoroughness 
of  scientific  induction,  all  the  insistence  upon  facts  and  the 
unwearying  search  for  all  the  facts,  and  the  refusal  to  go 
beyond  the  facts,  with  which  the  laboratory  has  made  us 
familiar,  belong  in  our  study  of  theological  truth.  There  is  no 
easy  road  to  that  truth.  The  self-denying  patience  of  Huxley 
and  Darwin  are  demanded  in  this  field  also.  The  humility  of 
those  who  see  truth  extending,  vastly,  on  every  side  of  them, 
belongs  here  also.  It  is  an  exacting  pursuit.  All  who  engage 


45 

in  it,  seriously,  must  share  in  its  processes,  as  well  as  its  re- 
sults. We  cannot  give  our  men  results  in  nice  packets  and  send 
them  out  to  cure  the  world  with  our  medicines.  What  they  get 
in  that  way  will  always  be  a  borrowed  theology,  and  not  their 
own.  We  can  lead  them  toward  our  results,  but  they  must 
walk  the  path  themselves,  and  learn  how  to  possess  their  own 
souls.  It  is  only  the  man  who  will  share  our  search  to  whom 
the  truth  of  God  can  come  with  the  dazzling  magnificence  of 
discovery,  as  it  sometimes  comes  to  us.  It  is  only  through 
this  earnest  rigour  of  the  process  that  theology  can  fulfil  its 
service  to  religion. 

It  takes  rank  with  study  for  every  great  profession,  which 
has  always  practice  in  view — law,  medicine,  teaching,  applied 
science,  for  example.  We  may  venture  to  call  theology  an 
applied  science,  which  must  be  a  thorough  science  before 
it  can  be  fruitfully  applied.  We  feel  bound  to  treat  it  as  a 
serious  object  of  our  own  study.  No  pains  are  too  great  to  be 
devoted  to  its  mastery.  It  is  a  part  of  our  obligation  to  make 
such  contributions  to  it  as  we  may.  The  study  of  languages, 
of  events  and  of  beliefs  may  sometimes  deal  with  matters  of 
long  ago,  but  it  need  not  therefore  be  dead  learning,  and 
ought  not  to  be.  It  is  part  of  our  duty  to  keep  it  alive  by 
fresh  investigation  and  re-statements,  as  we  see  new  things, 
or  see  the  old  things  in  new  relations.  If  we  neglected  or 
undervalued  close  scholarly  work  on  our  own  part  we  should 
do  our  science  a  great  wrong. 

But  the  final  end  of  it  all  is  religion.  And  this  is  true  of 
every  department  of  theology.  The  old  divisions  of  theological 
science  are  breaking  down,  and  their  names  have  grown  in- 
adequate. I  shall  use  them  now  for  illustrative  purposes 
merely: 

/.  The  desire  of  this  Seminary  to  make  theology  tell  for 
religion  is  expressed  in  its  Practical  Department,  so  called. 
This  is  the  point  of  application.  This  is  its  region  of  contact 
with  life.  Here  belong  the  theory  of  preaching,  the  purpose 


46 

of  preaching,  and  how  to  preach.  Here  belong  the  organiza- 
tion of  the  church,  the  theory  of  the  pastor  and  his  training, 
and  the  conduct  of  worship,  prayer,  voice-culture  and  music. 
Here  comes  the  recognition  of  the  field  as  the  world,  and  the 
imperative  of  missions,  and  the  acknowledgment  that  the 
theory  of  missions,  which  means  sharing  the  best  one  has,  is 
not  a  theory  of  localities,  but  that  the  obligation  is  the  same 
at  home  and  abroad.  In  all  this,  like  every  great  practical 
enterprise  there  is  demand  not  only  for  scientific  thoroughness 
but  also  for  the  creative  imagination  of  an  art,  and  the 
development  of  technical  skill.  To  the  wide  effectiveness  of 
this  department  belong  other  things  in  which  we  have  made 
some  small  beginnings.  We  hope  to  extend  them  greatly. 
We  desire  to  train  all  forces  that  make  for  religion.  Teachers 
in  Bible  Classes,  organizers  and  Superintendents  of  schools 
for  such  study,  all  who  have  to  do  with  education  in  matters 
of  religion,  belong  to  our  rightful  constituency  here.  The 
Preamble  to  our  Constitution,  a  document  of  broad  vision, 
which  is  our  Charter  in  things  spiritual,  as  our  Act  of  Incor- 
poration is  our  Charter  in  law,  emphasizes  the  interest  of  our 
Founders  in  all  "social  benevolent  efforts,"  and  contemplates 
"a  wholesome  practical  training  in  works  of  benevolence." 
More  and  more  we  are  realizing  such  a  desire.  The  Social 
Settlement  may  be  called  a  branch  of  our  Practical  Depart- 
ment, the  Christian  Associations — Young  Men's  and  Young 
Women's  —  send  to  us  and  draw  from  us.  There  are  six 
Young  Men's  Christian  Association  Secretaries  in  our  present 
Junior  Class. 

This  is  not  for  boasting.  We  do  far  too  little.  We  do,  as 
yet,  imperfectly,  what  we  try  to  do.  I  sincerely  hope  that 
other  Seminaries  do  more,  and  do  better.  But  I  hope  you  will 
believe  that  this  Seminary  is  in  some  degree  alive  to  its  prac- 
tical obligations. 

It  is  perhaps  not  proper  to  do  more  than  allude  to  our  sense 
of  personal  duty  in  this  matter,  which  impels  us — teachers  and 


47 

students — to  become,  ourselves,  agents  in  the  spread  of 
practical  religion,  by  word,  and  pen,  and  life.  It  is  not  an 
accident,  nor  a  whim,  that  one  of  our  newest  foundations, 
established  by  a  man*  whose  death  we  are  still  mourning  over, 
— a  man  of  marked  business  sense,  and  business  success,  as 
well  as  wide  interests  in  philanthropy  and  in  culture,  who 
some  years  before  gave  the  Union  Settlement  its  permanent 
home, — requires  its  incumbent  to  spend  half  of  each  academic 
year  in  the  direct  service  of  religion  among  those  who  are  in 
training  for  all  kinds  of  human  leadership. 

In  these  ways  the  Seminary  is  trying  to  justify  its  privileges 
by  advancing  the  Kingdom  of  God,  which  is  the  reign  of  love. 

77.  It  is  the  desire  of  this  Seminary  to  learn  and  teach  the 
truths  of  God  in  systematized  form,  for  the  invigorating  of 
religion.  One  aspect  of  this  work  is  the  arrangement  of 
positive  truth  as  a  connected  system,  for  the  satisfaction  and 
peace  of  the  mind  that  deals  with  it.  Another  is  the  inquiry 
into  its  ultimate  grounds  and  its  defense  from  unjust  attack. 
Another  is  the  consideration  of  Christian  conduct,  its  laws  and 
its  range,  involving  the  message  of  Christianity  to  Society, 
and  the  considering  of  all  questions  of  social  ethics.  Another 
is  the  examination  of  the  public  creeds  and  confessions  of 
faith,  to  determine  the  exact  measure  of  their  agreement  and 
their  dissent.  Its  sequel  is  the  consideration  of  the  way  of 
lessening  or  removing  the  divergences,  and  making  the  agree- 
ments effective.  These  processes  condition  not  only  growth 
in  knowledge  but  also  growth  in  religion.  They  enable  men  to 
meet  religious  crises  intelligently.  They  explain  faith  so  that 
reason  need  not  blink  at  it.  They  enrich  experience  by  giving 
the  mind  a  share  in  it.  A  meagre  theology  tends  to  an  ema- 
ciated religion.  Religion  claims  all  life,  and  theology  estab- 
lishes the  claim. 

///.  It  is  the  desire  of  this  Seminary  to  discern  and  pro- 
claim the  lessons  of  Christian  History — the  history  of  life  and 
the  history  of  thought.  The  first  lesson  is  the  need  of  studying 

*  Morris  K.  Jesup,  LL.D.,  a  member  of  the  Board  of  Directors,  1883-1908,  and  its  Viee- 
President,  1907-1908,  who  died  January  2ad,  1908. 


48 

all  theology  by  the  methods  and  in  the  light  of  history. 
The  content  of  history  needs  to  be  studied  also.  Acumen  in 
this  helps  religion  to  understand  what  is  permanent  and  what 
is  transient,  to  maintain  its  courage  and  face  its  future  with 
frankness  and  an  undaunted  mind.  It  knits  the  religious 
centuries  together  and  establishes  the  continuity  of  religious 
experience  and  belief.  It  begets  temperate  judgments  and 
the  faculty  of  seeing  truth  under  many  disguises.  It  fosters 
sympathy  and  a  genial  faith.  It  testifies  of  God's  Spirit, 
working,  without  haste  or  alarm,  through  the  confusions  of 
men.  It  shows  dogma  in  the  making,  and  tests  formulas  by 
their  origin,  their  fitness  and  their  power.  It  fills  each  age 
with  divine  life  and  predisposes  us  to  acknowledge  the  divine 
life  in  our  own  age.  It  is  a  merciless  discriminator  of  the 
unreal  from  the  real,  and  makes  the  theology  of  every  genera- 
tion a  minister  to  the  religion  of  to-day.  It  teaches  unity  in 
diversity,  and  comprehensiveness,  and,  with  a  hundred 
tongues,  proclaims  the  simplicity  of  the  Gospel,  and  the  value 
of  every  form  that  conserves  it. 

IV.  It  is  the  desire  of  this  Seminary  to  make  connection, 
and  keep  it,  with  the  primary  sources  of  theology,  for  the  sake 
of  a  living  religion. 

We  believe  that  the  ultimate  source  of  theology  is  God, 
who  reveals  His  will  in  human  hearts.  He  reveals  Himself, 
we  humbly  believe,  in  our  hearts,  as  in  yours — but  not  in 
yours,  or  ours,  first  of  all.  There  have  been  beginnings  of 
revelation,  whose  originality  makes  them  most  significant. 
There  were  first  revelations,  in  the  souls  and  minds  of  good 
men,  and  some  of  these  are  recorded  in  our  Bible.  There 
was  a  revelation  in  Jesus,  the  Christ.  This  is  recorded  in 
our  Bible.  Here  we  can  still  make  close  connections  with 
God.  All  that  renders  the  Bible  intelligible,  and  its  contents 
real, — all  that  gives  it  a  human  place,  and  entwines  it  with 
human  life,  is  important  to  religion.  Its  original  languages 
are  of  prime  value,  and  its  versions,  which  the  people  read. 


49 

We  see,  with  gladness,  how  much  the  Bible  has  in  common 
with  other  books.  We  cannot  shut  our  eyes, — and  no  longer 
desire  to  shut  our  eyes — to  much  that  is  imperfect  and  perish- 
able in  the  Bible.  This  relates  it  more  intimately  to  humanity. 
But  it  has  to  do  with  the  shell,  and  not  the  kernel.  The  Bible 
remains  the  splendidly  original  expression  of  experiences  of 
God  which  are  fresh  and  are  fundamental.  They  can  be 
reproduced — they  are  reproduced  every  day — but  they  cannot 
be  re-originated.  Therefore  schools  of  theology  will  always 
go  back  to  the  Bible,  and  methods  of  Bible  study  will  always 
be  of  vital  consequence. 

For  the  purest  water  you  go  back  to  the  spring,  if  you  can 
reach  it.  You  must  dip  carefully  and  with  judgment.  Rough 
scooping  may  bring  you  leaves  that  were  floating  idly  on  the 
top, — these  quench  no  thirst, — or  stir  up  sand  that  rests 
quietly  at  the  bottom, — harmless,  and  even  purifying,  till  you 
try  to  drink  it.  It  does  not  cleanse  the  spring  to  deny  that 
these  things  are  there.  These  things  belong  to  the  nature  of 
the  spring, — a  hollow  in  the  common  ground,  and  open  to  the 
sky.  But,  with  these  things  in  it,  it  is  still  the  water  of  the 
spring  that  gives  refreshment  and  life. 


I  have  tried  thus  to  indicate  the  range  of  theological  study, 
and  its  use  for  religion.  No  one  person  can  master  it  all. 
That  is  a  human  limitation.  But  everyone  ready  for  it  by 
previous  training,  and  willing  to  take  the  time  and  make  the 
effort,  can  grasp  the  essential  features  of  it  all,  and  get 
facility  in  some  part  of  it  so  as  really  to  promote  religion. 

We  go,  I  think,  to  the  verge  of  the  permissible  in  encour- 
aging specialization.  Ample  specialization  is  open  for  specific 
lines  of  work;  and  in  training  for  the  ministry  at  large  all  the 
specialization  that  is  consistent  with  the  design  of  preparing 
broadly  for  the  ministry,  with  its  demands  on  knowledge  and 
on  capacity. 


50 

We  desire  to  strengthen  all  our  great  Departments, 
extensively  and  intensively; — we  have  not  yet  adequate 
endowments  for  them  all.  And  if  any  one  can  shew  us  other 
lines  of  study  and  training  that  promise  effectiveness  in 
religious  teaching  and  living,  we  shall  be  glad  to  undertake 
them  as  fast  as  means  are  provided. 

I  have  said  so  much  about  this  Seminary,  because  I  know 
it,  and  belong  to  it — now  more  than  ever — and  because  I 
honestly  believe  that  in  making  theology  the  active  servant  of 
religion  it  is  worth  to  the  community  all  it  has  cost,  and  will 
cost,  and  a  great  deal  more. 

But,  indeed,  this  is  no  private  doctrine.  It  must  be  com- 
mended to  all  who  care  for  theology.  In  this  view  theology 
becomes  a  matter  of  great  human  interest.  Those  are  very 
wrong  who  exalt  human  concerns — even  religious  concerns — 
at  the  expense  of  theological  knowledge.  The  difficulty  with 
those  who  depreciate  theological  knowledge,  from  the  side  of 
religion,  is  that  they  have  too  feeble  a  notion  of  religion.  If 
theology  belonged  to  a  monkish  cell  or  to  a  shady  Academy, 
where  men  simply  think  and  talk,  they  might  ignore  it,  in  the 
tussle  of  the  world.  But  it  is  the  servant  of  religion,  and 
religion  is  big  enough  to  use  it  all,  and  need  it  all. 

I  know  religion  has  sometimes  had  power  without  much 
human  teaching.  I  know  there  is  a  teaching  from  God  not 
dependent  on  the  schools.  But  the  great  problems  of  religion 
as  human  society  shews  them  now,  cannot  be  solved  by  igno- 
rant piety.  They  are  tremendous  problems.  Religion  must 
rise  to  them  and  equip  itself  for  them.  It  sees  much  suffer- 
ing in  the  world,  much  cruelty  and  much  hardness;  igno- 
rance and  blundering;  social  grievances  which  are  crimes;  lives 
from  which  the  clouds  of  passion  and  vice  shut  out  the  sun- 
light; stifling  corners  never  swept  pure  by  the  winds  of 
heaven ;  arbitrary  hindrances  to  progress ;  progress  misnamed ; 
bitterness;  pathetic  zeal  for  trifles;  lack  of  ideals  and 


51 

stumbling  pursuit  of  ideals  when  they  are  not  quite  lacking; 
distortion  of  values ;  stolid  indifference ;  absorption  in  things; 
lack  of  reverence ;  lack  of  the  sense  of  God ;  lack  of  the  sense 
of  brotherhood. 

Religion  proposes  to  change  all  that,  to  conquer  sin,  and 
remove  evil,  and  establish  righteousness.  Thousands  of 
voices  deny  its  power  to  do  so,  thousands  laugh  at  its 
attempts.  They  call  it  an  idle  dream.  It  is  rather  a  vision 
of  that  which  is  to  be.  But,  between,  there  is  a  hard  struggle 
and  a  long  struggle.  It  will  take  trained  leadership.  The 
Seminary  stands  for  trained  leadership  in  religion.  It  belongs 
wholly  to  religion.  It  calls  men  to  get  ready  for  the  great 
business  of  making  religion  real  in  life.  It  does  not  disguise 
the  obstacles.  It  turns  them  into  a  summons. 

It  wants  men  of  fibre  and  courage.  It  wants  men  who 
believe  that  God  will  prevail,  and  are  eager  to  cast  in  their 
lot  with  Him.  It  wants  men  capable  of  loyalty  to  Jesus.  It 
offers  its  men,  not  softness  and  shelter,  but  accoutrement, 
ammunition,  drill,  a  plan  of  campaign,  a  battlefield,  a  watch- 
word, a  Commander.  In  them,  and  with  them,  and  with 
Him,  it  dares  its  part  in  the  redemption  of  the  world. 

We  pray  for  the  reproduction  of  the  spirit  and  purpose  of 
Jesus  Christ  in  all  the  people  on  the  earth.  And  if  God  will 
use  us,  of  this  Seminary,  in  our  freedom  and  our  larger  home, 
to  help  Him  in  doing  some  share  of  what  we  pray  for,  we 
shall  be  grateful  to  Him,  all  our  lives  long. 


